The study of the figure is intrinsically linked to human connection and mortality. As a representational painter my work explores the tapestry of selfhood, woven by intricate threads of past and future, pain and healing, memory and memorial. My work allows me to more deeply ask questions about the human condition and our role in the universe. Through the intimate portrayal of diverse subjects and figures, I aim to unravel social norms by inviting viewers to question preconceived notions of identity, trauma, and grief. Each paint stroke becomes a gesture of understanding, building a visual language articulating the complexities of healing, a testament to the resilience inherent in our shared human experience. My work offers a dialogue exploring both external and internal landscapes, finding a place in the intimate connections between the physical and psychological. In this dialogue, in these landscapes, in this space between—our stories are written.
Erb is a nationally award-winning American realist painter who earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). While attending MICA, she studied a variety of media including painting, sculpture, illustration and textile design. Additionally, Erb studied drawing and sculpture in Florence, Italy at SACI College of Art and Design. After receiving her degree, Erb returned to her hometown of Durham, NC where she has worked at the North Carolina Museum of Art, taught workshops at a variety of art centers, served on curatorial jury panels, and given lectures and artist talks at various institutions. She is now a resident artist at East Oaks Studio in Raleigh, NC.
In 2020 her work was included in the book “Woven Together: Weavers And Their Stories” by Sandu Publishing, and she was given the honor of writing the book’s introduction. Her paintings have won multiple national awards; most recently in 2024 her work received an Award of Excellence at the Oil Painters of America Eastern Regional Exhibition.
Erb has had her work exhibited nationally and internationally. In her paintings she incorporates her own sustainably wild-harvested, handmade natural pigments. Her works reside in private collections across the United States, the UK, India, and Australia.
