Born in 1971, Adrian Meraz received his B.F.A. from Otis College of Art and Design in 2000. Combining the poetic simplicity of a Richard Tuttle piece with the chaotic zeal of a Jessica Stockholder sculpture, Meraz's works employ simple, ephemeral materials such as paper bags, wood, string, and cardboard boxes in ways that explore the relationship between the functional, the dysfunctional and the creative potential of the spaces in-between. Citing the comically obsessive and idiosyncratic investigations of the "mad scientist" figure as a model for his own work, Meraz has noted that the "physicality" of his sculptures — the fact that they often contain movable parts or contraptions — enables them to resist the sedentary or "paralyzed" nature of most three-dimensional works. In this way, he effectively explores the malleability of an idea as it shifts direction, learns, grows and changes over time.