Erika Peucelle

Erika Peucelle has been deeply interested in art making since a young age. “For me, this is kind of a solitary activity, so drawing and painting projects I would do on my own, in my room. When I moved to Berlin at fourteen, I became a foreigner, and of course incredibly inspired by how different it was from where I came from, so I continued in my painting. Around 2018 I had the courage and curiosity to start making portraits on the street at Hackescher Markt or flea markets like Mauer park and Park Sanssouci. Following this time, I moved to den Haag in the Netherlands in 2019 and started my studies in Fine arts.”

“The start of a painting begins long before touching any paint. I put myself in interesting situations, often concerned with youth culture – like private and public social gatherings, and organise small adventures, which inspire my work. I use a small digital Nikon camera and a Polaroid to take snapshots, which I later use in the studio, in order to keep a sketchy reminder of the particular aura of a given moment. And also to restudy the form of a composition. In my paintings I like to portray realities of youth in my surroundings, which as samples of my art in general but also added into this portfolio, represent moments experienced mostly in the Netherlands and in Eastern Europe. Completed by further impressions perceived in North and South America.”

“Even though I might have 2 muse friends I paint today, I am innately aware of how such an interpersonal relationship has existed throughout time, and some well made photographs and paintings from the past can be restudied and inform my interest in the present. Of course, there are periods of solitude and where in my studio, I often use myself as a convenient indulging model for my paintings. This is also a big important part of my practice.”