About
Artist Statement
My work is impulsive and intuitive; the creation of linear systems that merge with ethereal nebulae make up the base of my visceral process. Inspired by energetic impulses, marks are built up using both natural and man-made materials which form layers of woven matrixes. Ranging from plaster and clay to pigment, paints and markers, this blend of substances explores the intertwining relationship between nature and that of humankind. The marks seek out a connection that will create a visual dialogue between the two, forming an energetic web that will help support the construction of a new, positive symbiotic relationship.
The otherworldly terrains are created with intention; a form of active meditation, I craft my marks with mindfulness. Painting over and tracing forgotten undercurrents, I recover marks from the past and pull them back up and through buried layers, linking them to the present and guiding them into the future. Subconsciously determining points on the developing plain, my intuitive gestures demarcate illuminated networks. These paths of light are inspired by both the grooved lines found in natural gemstones as well as those found in bold cityscapes; hazy skylines materialize and recede on canvases as purely abstract strokes wane and reappear. Volatile forms are transformed; the relationship is stabilized and rebuilt with new layers of paint and clay, excavated and transformed into the elemental web which threads equilibrium into ever-changing landscapes.
- Erika Ray
Artist CV
Education
New York Fashion Academy, Certificate in Fashion Design & Construction, 2017
Artist Trust Visual EDGE Professional Development Program, Certificate, 2016
Daphne Michaels Institute for Personal Development, Certificate in Restorative Touch, 2016
Spaceworks Creative Enterprise Program, Certificate, 2016
School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Post-Baccalaureate in Fiber & Material Studies, 2015
Lewis & Clark College, Bachelor of Fine Arts with concentration in Painting, 2005
Solo Exhibitions
2019 Lakewold Gardens, Lakewood Washington
2016 Saturn Building, Seattle Washington
2016 Space Building, Seattle Washington
2015 Crimson Graphics, Tacoma Washington
2013 Private Event, Tacoma Washington
2010 619 Western, Seattle Washington
2010 Beauty Bar, Seattle Washington
2009 Miro Tea House, Seattle Washington
2009 Monster Gallery, Seattle Washington
Group Exhibitions
2017 Kaleidoscope, Tacoma Arts Month, Tacoma Washington
2016 12x12 Show, Crimson Graphics, Tacoma Washington
2015 Alchemy Skate Art Fundraiser, Tacoma Washington
2015 Centro Selva, Pucallpa Peru
2015 Post-Baccalaureate Salon, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago Illinois
2011 Rumble in SODO, Bemis Building, Seattle Washington
2011 Cancer Sucks, Radar Hair & Records, Seattle Washington
2011 Artifakt All Female Art Show, LoFi, Seattle Washington
2010 Rumble in SODO, Bemis Building, Seattle Washington
2009 Death & The Devil, Tiger Lounge, Seattle Washington
2007 All City Fresh, Brooklyn New York
Live Art
2016 Pony Up for The Kids, Tacoma Narrows Rotary Club, Roy Washington
2016 NEON, SpaceWorks, Tacoma Washington
2016 Third Thursday, 1120 Creative House, Tacoma Washington
2015 Private Event, Tacoma Washington
2012 Private Event, Seattle Washington
2011 Private Event, Seattle Washington
2010 Artifakt, Seattle Washington
2010 Abraxis, Seattle Washington
2010 Nectar Lounge, Seattle Washington
2009 Day Out of Time, Seattle Washington
2009 Abraxis, Seattle Washington
2009 Triple D, Seattle Washington
2008 206 Zulu Anniversary Party, Seattle Washington
2008 Doc Maynard’s, Seattle Washington
Collections
JPC Architects, Bellevue Washington, 2011
Elements Too, Bellevue Washington, 2010
Publications
“Inside the Open Studio”, F-News Magazine, November, 2014
Awards
2015 Student Leadership Award, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago Illinois
2011 JPC Architects, NW Design Awards, Seattle Design Center, Seattle Washington
Member of the Following Organization
Textile Technology Research Group, Joined 2014