| bio |
Erik Stenberg was born into an environment where
creativity and originality were prized and rewarded. Imagination, ingenuity and artistic ability runs in
his family, his father Peter Stenberg is an accomplished photographer, and his mother Kay has held
an active interest in art throughout her life. Erik has two sisters, Kristina, a talented make-up artist
and painter, and Katie, a graphic designer and clever photographer. |
| Growing up in Northwest Indiana, Erik
began by coloring and shading coloring books to make the images appear 3D.
He spent many hours drawing anything and everything that intrigued him. At age 10,
Erik began experimenting with airbrushing, revealing another area of hidden talent.
He continued to draw and airbrush throughout his adolescences, selling his
first piece at age 11. During his years spent at Lake Central High School in St. John, Indiana, he began
sculpting, finding it too came naturally. His school art department showcased him several times throughout
his teenage years. |
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After graduating high school in
1998, Erik attended the American Academy of Art in Chicago, Illinois. There he continued to strengthen
his technique and develop his unique style, by taking variety of classes focused on life drawing, creative
thinking, and graphic design. During college he began using charcoal, and discovered that his years spent
shading his coloring books served him well with this medium. Graduating with an Associates Art Degree in
2001, Erik gained employment at Studio Laser, a graphic design studio in Chicago,
Illinois. After the completion of college, Erik continued to investigate various art forms. He
began freelancing with charcoal drawings and portraits, further defining his unusual style of art.
In April of 2005, he started an apprenticeship under tattoo artist Ken Culver of Tainted Skin Tattoo in
Crown Point, Indiana. While learning the art of tattooing, Erik quickly understood the significance of
a steady hand and attention to detail. |
Wanting a challenge, and in an effort to break away from black
and white charcoal, he began painting in early 2007. With no formal instruction in painting, Erik took what
he already knew, and applied it to painting with acrylics and canvas.
Having always preferred art that is full of contradictions, style and imagination, the
obvious direction was Pop Surrealism. His paintings are humorous and colorful depictions of outlandish
scenarios. The subjects of his works are random, yet relatable and inviting.
They are technically masterful, and wildly entertaining. His work has been
featured in the Chicago Reader, Crown Point Star, Hammond Times, Post Tribune, Creep Machine, the Hive
Gallery and on Talent Database. Erik was one of six talented local
artists selected to paint a mural during the 2007 Silver Room block party held in Downtown Chicago.
He has shown at several exhibitions throughout the
Chicagoland area, The Hive Gallery in Los Angeles, CA, DVA Gallery in Chicago, IL in 2007 and at the
Omegacon Exhibition in Birmingham, AL in 2008. Erik currently resides in Griffith,IN
.Erik works for Beryl Martin, a creative company who he helped
sculpt the largest replica of the statue of liberty in 2008. |
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