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Erica Campitelli

Artist member since 2019
Toronto, Ontario

Erica is an abstract artist born in Toronto, Canada. 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's paintings demonstrate a sense of balance and movement, generating and being a catalyst for emotional awakening. Through the use of blending, dragging and layering the paint, unique textures, shapes and colours form. A complimentary aesthetic is created through the finding of her "flow state" and her ability to work within it. Predominantly, she works with acrylic, chalk paint and oil on canvas or wood panels, wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry. However, she has been known to use paper or cork and dabble with other mediums such as pastels, charcoal, watercolour, alcohol ink and collage.

You can follow her on Instagram @artbyairstudio and see more of her art on her website www.artbyairstudio.wordpress.com. Her contact information is erica.campitelli@gmail.com and if interested in a studio visit, do reach out!


Work


Inside the Studio


Q+A

Beverage of choice

Water! It's really all we need. Boring answer, I know but it's the truth. I can't seem to go anywhere without my water bottle. It's like my baby blanket, offering security and access. Honestly, it's not the worst thing to be attached to.

When I'm not making art, I'm (a) ...

Hiking! I'm always on the lookout for new trails to devour with my eyes. Either taking day trips to parks or conservation areas, or weekends away camping, I find there's much to be inspired by when immersed in nature.

Favourite medium

Acrylic, although funnily enough I'm in an oil craze right now. I feel like I'm cheating on acrylic but I'm sure it doesn't mind. I'll find my way back to it soon. The second I run out of oils and need to go to the store that is.

What kind of artwork do you have in your home?

My Aunt Susan's abstracts. She was the artist in our family. She could control paint in a way that I could only dream of doing. She never needed a lot but with very little she could accomplish so much. I wish she was alive now so that we could share this passion of ours together.

Why is art important to you?

It's my biggest passion. It's my way of sharing myself with the world; my choice of expression. There would be a void in my life without it.

Select Past Exhibitions
2024

TD Centre

2024

Slanted Door

2023

Northern Contemporary
Under 100

2023

Colliers International

2023

Slanted Door

2023

Northern Contemporary
Summer Lovin'

2023

North York Centre

2022

Crown Realty Partners, Mississauga

2022

Slanted Door, Toronto

2022

M Worldwide, Thornhill

2021

TVX, Toronto

2021

Poured Coffee, Toronto
Artist Spotlight

2021

Slanted Door, Toronto

2020

Black Lab Brewing, Toronto

2020

Headwaters Arts, Caledon

2020

T.art Gallery and Cafe, Port Carling

2020

Trinity Bellwoods, Toronto
Queen West Art Crawl

2020

Slanted Door, Toronto

2020

Mercury Espresso, Toronto

2020

Starving Artist, Toronto

2020

Legislative Building, Toronto
Art a la Carte

2020

EBar, Guelph
Elemental

2020

Slanted Door, Toronto

2019

Paula White Diamond, Kitchener
Square Foot & Big Ideas Show

2019

Slanted Door, Toronto

2019

Trinity Bellwoods
Queen West Art Crawl

2019

UTSC, Toronto
ARTSIDEOUT '19

2019

The Freedom Factory
Pop Up

2019

Liberty Village, Toronto
Toronto Art Crawl

2019

UTSC, Toronto
Annual Juried Art Exhibit

2018

UTSC, Toronto
ARTSIDEOUT '18

Press
2020

Margins Magazine
Painter

2020

She's Got Wonder
Painter

2019

SCSU Be Zine
Photographer

2018

UTSC Events
Painter

Education
2019

University of Toronto

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