Eileen Ferara
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City, New Jersey
Bio: Eileen Ferara is a visual artist who incorporates a variety of media in her work, including printmaking, book arts, drawing, and papermaking. Drawing inspiration from the natural world, Ferara’s work explores humanity’s relationship to the environment. The artist is a 2019 Eileen S. Kaminsky Family Foundation resident artist, and in 2017 she received a Puffin Foundation grant. Her work is held in the collection of the William Paterson University Galleries, The King St Stephens Museum of Hungary, and numerous private collections. Ferara has a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and an MFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York City.
Statement: Connecting to nature has long been a source of inspiration and is reflected in my work. Observations of the natural world, personal memories, and our relation to the otherworldly also inform me in my artistic practice. Using a mix of materials and techniques, I create artwork, which incorporates both abstract and figurative imagery. My work process involves time spent sketching, drawing, and writing notes in my sketchbook as a way to develop ideas in the studio. Drawing is the beginning for much of my work, and even when I am printing books or using paint, glue, or cut-up paper, I express myself using a combination of marks on a surface and an interest in reinterpreting my subject matter.
My recent work has been an exploration of humanity’s relationship to the environment of the estuary and, in particular, my local urban waterways around the Hudson River and surrounding marsh areas which empty out into the Atlantic Ocean. This has led me to focus my attention on invasive seed pods I discovered along the riverbank. It is fascinating to think about what defines invasive species, and to consider how much humans should try to manage and protect local ecosystems. My work is a reflection on the fragility of balance in the environment and our relationship to the places in which we live.
Statement: Connecting to nature has long been a source of inspiration and is reflected in my work. Observations of the natural world, personal memories, and our relation to the otherworldly also inform me in my artistic practice. Using a mix of materials and techniques, I create artwork, which incorporates both abstract and figurative imagery. My work process involves time spent sketching, drawing, and writing notes in my sketchbook as a way to develop ideas in the studio. Drawing is the beginning for much of my work, and even when I am printing books or using paint, glue, or cut-up paper, I express myself using a combination of marks on a surface and an interest in reinterpreting my subject matter.
My recent work has been an exploration of humanity’s relationship to the environment of the estuary and, in particular, my local urban waterways around the Hudson River and surrounding marsh areas which empty out into the Atlantic Ocean. This has led me to focus my attention on invasive seed pods I discovered along the riverbank. It is fascinating to think about what defines invasive species, and to consider how much humans should try to manage and protect local ecosystems. My work is a reflection on the fragility of balance in the environment and our relationship to the places in which we live.