Erika Duque

Artist Statement:

Nature has a way of creating a state of profound absorption that can be experienced in both
grand and intimate moments. These moments of awe can only happen while being present in
the landscape. Through painting I try to represent and recreate the sensation and amazement I
felt from being in nature.

In 2016 I took a trip to Yellowstone National Park and made a series of paintings on the surreal
and otherworldly landscape. I collected sketches, video recordings, photographs of the flora
and fauna and wrote down in every little detail the sights, sounds, smells of the park.
For this body of work titled “HEAT”, I am revisiting my field notes and research from my trip in
the summer of 2016. I have created an exaggerated version of Yellowstone National Park, a
playground fit for creatures of the underworld.