Designer Can’t Stop Rearranging Everyday Objects into Visually Satisfying Compositions

Things Organized Neatly by Adam Hillman

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase, My Modern Met may earn an affiliate commission. Please read our disclosure for more info.

Calling himself an “object arranger,” Adam Hillman sees the beauty in things organized neatly. Taking everyday things like matches, cotton swabs, and push pins, he meticulously places them in mesmerizing patterns that transform them from the ordinary into the extraordinary. Divorced from their original function, the items hardly look like themselves, and with Hillman's intervention, they function as a single form that electrifies the composition.

While every one of Hillman’s pattern arrangements is impressive, his food organization is some of his best work. Preparing these edible materials often involves delicate peeling or precise slicing, which is both time consuming and unpredictable—you never know how an Oreo's icing is going to look until you twist it open. It requires the utmost patience; a trait best shown in his photograph of Fruit Loops cereal that's arranged in a square gradient pattern suspended in a milky bath.

Hillman sells prints of his obsessively arranged art on Society6.

Through meticulous pattern arrangement, Adam Hillman creates visually soothing photos.

Things Organized Neatly by Adam Hillman

Things Organized Neatly by Adam Hillman

From everyday objects to food, Hillman organizes it all.

Meticulous Pattern Arrangement by Adam Hillman

Meticulous Pattern Arrangement by Adam Hillman

Things Organized Neatly by Adam Hillman

Things Organized Neatly by Adam Hillman

Meticulous Pattern Arrangement by Adam Hillman

Some are arranged in rainbow colors, while others place an emphasis on shape design through negative space.

Meticulous Pattern Arrangement by Adam Hillman

Meticulous Pattern Arrangement by Adam Hillman

Things Arranged Neatly by Adam Hillman

Things Organized Neatly by Adam Hillman

Things Arranged Neatly by Adam Hillman

Things Arranged Neatly by Adam Hillman

Whatever the items may be, Hillman shows how satisfying it is to see things organized neatly.

Meticulous Pattern Arrangement by Adam Hillman

Things Arranged Neatly by Adam Hillman

Things Arranged Neatly by Adam Hillman

Adam Hillman: Instagram | Society6
h/t: [Colossal]

All images via Adam Hillman.

Related Articles:

Photos of Things Organized Neatly Provide a Soothing Feast for the Eyes

Delicious Sugary Treats Perfectly Organized by Color

Various Collections Organized In Shocking Abundance

Visually Satisfying Food Arrangements Are Rainbow Feasts for the Eyes

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met, Manager of My Modern Met Store, and co-host of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. As an illustrator and writer living in Seattle, she chronicles illustration, embroidery, and beyond through her blog Brown Paper Bag and Instagram @brwnpaperbag. She wrote a book about embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning titled "Embroidered Life" that was published by Chronicle Books in 2019. Sara is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned her BFA in Illustration in 2008 and MFA in Illustration Practice in 2013.
Become a
My Modern Met Member
As a member, you'll join us in our effort to support the arts.
Become a Member
Explore member benefits

Sponsored Content