Exhibitions
ERICA WESTENBERGER: OUR SHADOWS, SPILLING TOGETHER
Neue Welt / 507 Hagan St. November 1 - 30th (Reception: November 1 5:00pm - 9:00pm)
Erica Westenberger
"My work weaves together the emotional landscapes women wade through to find contentment. Tasked to perform the roles of caretaker and achiever while maintaining beauty ideals, tension is formed through the pressures of living up to societal expectations. This fraught feminine interiority is expressed through forms that intertwine, pierce, and cradle. Strength and softness unfold throughout, reflective of apprehension and the balm of growth, comfort, and connection. Dusty gardens filled with playful and cutting amulets surround figures that tie themselves up into knots. A miscellany of objects likened to frilly accoutrements and weapons become armors of ornamentation. These amalgams of abstracted mementos and charms serve as soothing shields. They echo resilience while entwining gentle threads of feminine delight. Inspired by the rich tapestry of myth and fantasy, these visual narratives provide portals to escapism through their whimsical and melancholic meandering. Moments of discovery are revealed within intricacies that evoke intimate aspects of sexuality, mental health, and memory. I center muted stories of femme experience, exploring where self-discovery meets mercurial longing and offering space for reflection, transformation, and tenderness." - Erica Westenberger
Erica Westenberger is an interdisciplinary artist based in New Orleans, Louisiana. She earned her BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2014 and completed her MFA at Tulane University in 2023. Her work has been exhibited nationally, including at the Delta Triennial at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, Field Projects in New York, and Good Children Gallery in New Orleans. Westenberger has held solo exhibitions at the Carroll Gallery and Sibyl Gallery in New Orleans. Her work has been featured in ArtMaze Magazine, and she has completed residencies at the Joan Mitchell Center, Oxbow School of Art, and Stove Works.
