Erik Parra
Iris Project Resident: September, 2020
Erik Richard Parra was born in and raised in the vibrant, international metroplex of El Paso, TX-Juárez, MX in 1975. He started drawing as soon as he could hold a pencil and has since been immersed in art, design and photography making. He holds a Bachelor’s of Fine Art degree in painting from The University of Texas at Austin and a Master’s of Fine Art degree completed while on fellowship at the University of Wisconsin—Madison.
After graduate school he lived, worked and exhibited in Brooklyn, NY. Currently he maintains a studio based in San Francisco, California. Erik has exhibited internationally in alternative spaces, commercial galleries and museums. He has had solo exhibitions in Austin, San Francisco, Portland and Reno; and group exhibitions in Berlin, Brazil, Los Angeles, London and New York. In the Bay Area Erik’s work has been exhibited at Blankspace Gallery, Johansson Projects, The Headlands Center for the Arts, Southern Exposure, Kala Art Institute, and most recently at Eleanor Harwood Gallery. His work is widely collected by private patrons and corporations in the US and abroad. Erik’s work has been included in publications including New American Paintings, the SF Bay Guardian and the LA Times. Additionally, Erik works on commission, teaches art and has lectured at universities, given artist talks, garnered residencies and awards. Most recently he was awarded an inaugural Liquitex Research Residency.