Biography: “Born in 1987 and growing up in Chicago, he was heavily influenced by 90s street art that surrounded him in his childhood. He attended the School of the Art Institute in Chicago for his bachelor’s degree and his MFA at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts in Boston. … Through his art, he aims to capture the highs and lows of being an artist. His work is a reflection on the failure, humor, and sincerity that comes with being an artist.” (from the Taglialatella Galleries website)
Website: https://www.ericstefanski.com/
Date Acquired: November 6, 2023
Location Acquired: Artsy.net
Provenance: Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation: Benefit Auction 2023
Type: Oil paint on canvas
Size: 20 × 16 in (50.8 × 40.6 cm)
Personal Connection: None. From the first time I saw Eric’s paintings on Instagram, I hoped to one day be able to add one to the collection. The thick impasto, wry statements, and amazingly cool look drew me in immediately. I’d love to have a whole wall of them. They are far out of my price range, yet I lucked out when minimal bidding happened during this charity auction. I bit the bullet and paid WAY more for it than most other work in the collection, but I loved the piece and the built in equity didn’t hurt (not that I’m going to sell it, but I’m thrifty at heart).
Check out other Chicago artists in the collection:
- Danny Martinez (Van Dam One), Once Upon a Time In…aka Tarantino, 2021
- Tom Billings, Luchas, 2018
- Ralph Arnold, Adam, Undated
- Louis Barak, Naughty Kids, 2021
For a full list of the Chicago area Artists in the collection, by decade, please head over to the Chicago Area Artwork in the Collection page.
Art Hoard 
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