Artist Statement- Erika Rosales

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I express my love for existence as a multidisciplinary artist. My work is a juxtaposition of reconnection, liberation, coming back to self and the exploration of other realms. Therefore, I extend an invitation to the viewer to embark on a spiritual journey of the human experience with self, the world, and the universe. 

By interacting with elements in both large and small spaces, I navigate this exploration by creating various surfaces with materials such as acrylic, alcohol ink, spray paint, and food items. I represent visuals from the physical to non-physical through abstraction on my alcohol ink and acrylic paintings. I often use unconventional materials to create texture and enhance emotional aspects. Employing gilding (metal leafs) and metallic paints allow me to provide a sense of mysticism and connection to the divine. On the other hand, my mural collaborations have been motivated by a desire to celebrate aspects of our shared humanity. 

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As humans, we have created systems of oppression, division, and paradigms that disconnect us from ourselves and the sacred. Considering my lived experience in a complex world as an undocumented woman, I am inspired by the idea of transcending our limited human condition. I believe tending to the wounds of our lineage and reconnecting to ancestral wisdom allows us to heal the past and the future. In a world often marked by disconnection and confusion, the goal of my work is to create a portal to the larger meaning of life, existence, and our role in it. 

 

About the Artist

 

Originally from Temascalcingo, Estado de Mexico, Mexico, Erika Rosales is a self-taught multidisciplinary artist based in Madison, Wisconsin. Her work is inspired by the exploration of reconnection, liberation, spirituality, and coming back to self.

 

As a child in Mexico, Erika engaged with art through drawing.

 

However, as a teenager living in the U.S., she felt lost and distanced herself from art. As her spirit craved both self-expression and reconnection to culture, she returned to art through dance. Mexican Folkloric dance allowed her to surrender to the process of self-exploration, which led her to painting and drawing again. The challenges of living as an undocumented immigrant in the U.S. with DACA, and the complexity of the earthly experience have allowed her to search for healing, connection, self-awareness, and beauty. 

 

Erika’s visual art includes abstract paintings through different mediums, such as alcohol ink on yupo paper and mixed media on canvas. Her work is part of private and public collections. Erika has also collaborated on local mural projects with acrylic and spray paint that center social justice movements and culture.