Adobe’s Creative Residency Program Welcomes New Artists for 2025

The three 2025 Adobe Creative Residents who will be at The Victoria and Albert Museum in London this year. From left to right: Michael Akuagwu, Jessica Starns, and Ciara Neufeldt. Not pictured is the 2025 Creative Resident at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, Samora Pinderhughes.

Adobe’s celebrated Creative Residency program seeks to provide up-and-coming artists new opportunities to develop their work and gain stronger footholds in the broader art world. To that end, the program places artists at some of the world’s most famous art institutions and gives them a chance to showcase their work.

Adobe’s Creative Resident alumni list is extremely impressive, featuring well-known photographers like Aundre Larrow, Christina Poku, Amelie Satzger, Aaron Bernstein, who goes by Hungry Boy, and many more.

This year’s photography resident, Michael Akuagwu, blends photography, photo manipulation, and a surreal creative spirit to “explore themes of self, identity, culture, and society.” Self-portraiture is a significant part of his portfolio and has played a central role throughout his series, including Jungle Justice in 2023, Michael’s Toolkit in 2022, and 2021’s Church Hurts.

“They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I often think about how much more can be communicated through photo-composites, blending multiple images into a single, unified story,” Akuagwu says.

The new 2025 Adobe Creative Residents group includes multidisciplinary artist Samora Pinderhughes, designer Jessica Starns, and mosaics and ceramic artist Ciara Neufeldt. Akuagwu, Starns, and Neufeldt will be residents at The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London, while Pinderhughes is being welcomed to the Museum of Modern Art in New York (MoMA).

Credit: Adobe

Akuagwu says he is particularly excited to engage with the V&A Collections, including photographs of the Black British Experience from the 1950s through the 1990s.

“There weren’t many (if any) black artists on my school curriculum, I didn’t really explore the arts further until after university and I often feel like I’m playing catch up, so I’m excited to learn more about Black photographers in the collections, their works and practices,” the photographer explains.

“We are thrilled to welcome our new cohort of Residents and eagerly await the many ways in which our collaborations will unfold in 2025, from sharing their making processes in photography, mosaics and ceramic tilework and inclusive design with our audiences, to enlivening wider debates on creativity, socially engaged practice using collections and access to creative careers,” says Dr. Helen Charman, director of learning at V&A.

The Adobe Creative Residency program works alongside world-class art institutions like the MoMA, V&A, the Museum of Art and Photography in Bangalore, the National Museum of Art Japan, and The Museum of Image and Sound Sao Polo (MIS). The work of the 2024 residents is on display at MoMA and V&A.

“Through the Adobe Creativity Residency program, we are building new pathways to bridge the gap between established art institutions and the next generation of creators,” says Stacy Martinet, Adobe VP of Marketing Strategy and Communications and Adobe Foundation Board member.

“The Adobe Foundation is honored to be investing in this first of its kind collaboration, supporting creators to present their artistic visions in ways never before possible and making creativity more accessible to all.”

Adobe aspires to reach 10 million young creators through its global Creative Residents program by 2028.

Image credits: Adobe