Erica Mao

Erica Mao (b. 1994, Columbia, MD) is best known for her atmospheric layered paintings that stitch together disparate spaces into alternate realities. Depictions of wild, imaginative landscapes explore the feelings of fear, tension, and suspense by following the path of her characters as they weave their way in and out of the narrative.

Mao received her BFA from Parsons School of Design, NY, in 2016, and her MFA from Columbia University, NY, in 2020. Recent exhibitions include Buried and Deep, with Robert Zehnder, Rachel Uffner Gallery, New York, NY; Born from earth, Rubber Factory, NY (Solo); MFA ’20 Thesis Exhibition, Wallach Gallery, NY; The Alternative States, Project Gallery V, NY; Seasonal Repression, Field Projects Gallery, NY; Alone Together, Steve Turner Gallery, LA, among others. Mao currently lives and works in Ridgewood, Queens.

Biography

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Erica Mao, against the sun, 2022, ceramic, 5 x 11 in (12.7 x 27.9 cm)
Erica Mao, tear through the wind, 2021, oil on panel, 16 x 20 x 2 in (40.6 x 50.8 x 5.1 cm)
Erica Mao, clawed and scratch, 2022, ceramic, 7 x 8 x 7 1/2 in (17.8 x 20.3 x 19.1 cm)
Erica Mao, salt tree, 2022, ceramic, 9 3/4 x 4 x 4 1/4 in (24.8 x 10.2 x 10.8 cm)
Erica Mao, lit ablaze, a searing sight, 2021, oil on panel, 16 x 20 x 2 in (40.6 x 50.8 x 5.1 cm)
Erica Mao, a cold night, 2022, ceramic, 9 1/2 x 10 1/2 in (24.1 x 26.7 cm)
Erica Mao, wading in the creek, 2022, oil on panel, 20 x 30 x 2 in (50.8 x 76.2 x 5.1 cm)
Erica Mao, singular journey, 2022, ceramic, 7 x 11 in (17.8 x 27.9 cm)
Erica Mao, ashen home, 2022, ceramic, 6 x 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 in (15.2 x 11.4 x 11.4 cm)
Erica Mao, pale smoke, 2022, ceramic, 8 x 7 x 6 in (20.3 x 17.8 x 15.2 cm)
Erica Mao, dawn, river of light, 2021, oil on panel, 16 x 20 x 2 in (40.6 x 50.8 x 5.1 cm)
Erica Mao, dog, through the woods, 2021, oil on panel, 11 x 14 x 2 in (27.9 x 35.6 x 5.1 cm)
Erica Mao, blue reach, 2022, ceramic, left: 9 1/4 x 5 x 5 in (23.5 x 12.7 x 12.7 cm), right: 9 x 5 x 4 in (22.8 x 12.7 x 10.1 cm)
Erica Mao, outer shell, 2022, ceramic, 11 x 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 in (27.9 x 10.8 x 14 cm)
Erica Mao, leaning shed, 2022, ceramic, 7 x 10 x 5 1/2 in (17.8 x 25.4 x 14 cm)
Erica Mao, light under the cliffside, 2022, oil on panel,16 x 20 x 2 in (40.6 x 50.8 x 5.1 cm)