Sculpture is a link to the human experience. I use materials to illuminate sensations of being alive and to create objects that connect to people on a core level. I refer to the human figure as a primary source of information, coupled with elements from our natural and built environments. By interpreting movement and points of tension in myself and my surroundings, I capture slivers of life in physical objects. Handcrafted processes with metals and fiber add nuance, complexity, and character to my work, which widens opportunities for viewer entry. Familiar materials in distinct compositions attract viewers attention and catalyze reflection, an effect that is critical in our automated, media driven society. My work transects communities of all kinds, inciting introspective experiences. Furthermore, my site-specific work is strengthened by research and careful observation of context, which paves the way for effective sculpture in time and place.
Artist Biography
Erica Ehrenbard is a sculptor based in Philadelphia’s Callowhill neighborhood, where she has revitalized an early-20th-century carriage house. Out of her studio, Ehrenbard runs a custom fabrication company, Carriage Creative Co., that pairs her artistic sensibility with professional design capacity. Concurrent to her artistic & fabrication practices, Ehrenbard works as a Researcher for KieranTimberlake, where she engages architects in articulating design questions and building physical prototypes. Erica was born in New York City and raised in New Jersey, earning her BFA from Rhode Island School of Design. She has been awarded residencies with Vermont Studio Center and Chashama. Erica’s work has been acquired by private collectors and she is currently producing a public artwork for Philadelphia’s historic firehouse, Engine 37.
Education
2012 Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI Bachelor of Fine Arts, Sculpture
Awards & Honors
2013 Artist in Residence, Vermont Studio Center Full Artist Grant, RISD/VSC
2012 Artist in Residence, ChaNorth Partial Scholarship, Chashama
Jeanne Stahl-Webber Sculpture Fund Recipient
2011 John A. Chironna Fine Arts Award
Collection
Commissions
2016 e, Evertz Microsystems; Burlington, Canada Original steel letter piece for commercial lobby
2013 Crow, Private Collector; Montclair NJ Original site-specific bronze sculpture for private garden
Untitled Tower, Private Collector; Montclair NJ Original mixed metals sculpture for private office
Exhibitions
Group
2016 To the Moon, The Wurks, Providence, RI
Process: METAL IV, Philadelphia Sculpture Gym, Philadelphia, PA
2013 Ransom, Wayfarers, Brooklyn, NY
Of the Land, Chashama Gallery, New York, NY
2011 Sculpture Triennial, Woods-Gerry Gallery, Providence, RI
Think/Art Conference, Commonwealth Gallery, Boston, MA
Forces of Nature, Carving Studio & Sculpture Center, West Rutland, VT
2009 Encounter: Artistic Interpretations of Israel, Hillel Gallery, Providence, RI
Public Projects
2019 Fireman's Arc (with Jill Sablosky), Engine 37 Firehouse, Philadelphia, PA Philadelphia Percent for Art Program
