Erica Campitelli

Erica Campitelli
Artist’s statement:

Erica is an emerging artist born in Toronto, Canada. Abstract painting is her way of being present. It allows her to shut out all distractions while she explores colour and motion. In the studio she gives no consideration to time or its constraints. And, while she never starts with a pre-conceptualized vision, once a painting is complete she can make sense of it and find meaning. With a canvas she takes something that is blank and creates a personal narrative. Whatever she is wrestling with gets sorted, resolved, alleviated or elevated. Painting is a form of meditation, an escape, and ultimately her therapy.

There is a quote by Thomas Merton that resonates with her. He states that, “art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time”. Merton explains how the production of art is a transitional state, and is therefore representative of liminality. While painting she feels she reaches this in-between state. It’s trance like, all consuming and ultimately a safe space to explore. She believes it’s where her mind, body, and soul are able to connect.

Erica has been told that her paintings demonstrate flow and movement, generating an emotional charge. Through the use of blending, dragging and layering, unique textures, shapes and colours form. Predominantly, she works with acrylic and mixed media on canvas or wood panel, wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry.

Biography:

In the last two years she has exhibited her work at the Artsideout Festival at UTSC, the Annual Juried Exhibit at UTSC, the Toronto Art Crawl in Liberty Village, The Freedom Factory’s Pop Up on Queen East, Queen West Art Crawl in Trinity Bellwoods, Slanted Door on Bloor West, Paula White Diamond Art Gallery in Waterloo, Ebar in Guelph, Art a la Carte at the Legislative Building in Toronto, Mercury Espresso in Leslieville, The Starving Artist on Mount Pleasant, and T.art Gallery and Cafe in Port Carling.