Book Description:

Snakes Have Bones immerses us in the small and dark world of wonder experienced in Julian Adon Alexander’s drawings and illustrations. Raised between New York City and Connecticut, and now Queens-based, Alexander creates a fictional urban universe that’s dark, wintery, and semi-dystopian. The artist’s debut monograph includes compelling and thoughtful essay contributions from various celebrated artists and illustrators, showcases over 200 small scale drawings (spanning 2020-2024), mostly graphite on toned paper, including early works from his days at the School of Visual Arts to present day. The DNA in Alexander’s drawings are pulled from his deep connections to comic books, anime, pop culture, and the internet. He explores complex feelings in his textual drawings –from vulnerability to anxiety– through self-portraits and depictions of relatable Black Gen Z figures. The young Black people in Alexander’s work, real or imagined, are accessible and intriguing. They’re friends and family members, they wear puffer coats in cold weather, and scroll on their phones to avoid awkward moments. And, they’re also, all Alexander too, pieces of him.

Book Details:

• Publishing Date: April 2025
• ISBN: 979-8-9898668-1-6
• Edition: 500
• Measurements: 6” x 9”
• Number of Pages: 576
• Number of Illustrations: 276
• Binding: Hardcover, Smyth Sewn
• Language: English

Artist: 

Julian Adon Alexander (b. 1998, New York, NY) is a New York-based illustrator exploring human emotion through visual metaphors. Drawing from media and everyday observations, he highlights overlooked moments in daily life.

A BFA graduate from the School of Visual Arts, Alexander has worked with The New Yorker, the NBA G League, and Nike. His work has been exhibited at the School of Visual Arts (2020), Swivel Gallery (2021, 2022), and Ross + Kramer (2021).

Contributors: 

Interview and essays by: KAWS, Alvin Armstrong, Marcos Chin, Julian Alexander, and Phillip Collins

Shipping: All purchases will be shipped by April 13th, 2025.