Artist Statement

These large paintings draw on family stories and my return to Kentucky in 2024 after thirty-five years away. A girl and a horse move through them, joined by masks, robots, and figures in costume. The horse ties the work to Kentucky, while the masks connect to my family's history in Nigeria and our collection of West African art.

The girl is the heroine—curious, courageous, and determined. She finds her way among companions whose intentions are difficult to read. The robots resemble playful toys, yet their growing size changes the balance between the figures. Her encounters with them explore the trust we place in artificial intelligence and how we hold on to our independence.

The paintings begin on linen that has served as a studio floor cloth, carrying marks from earlier work. Drawing and thin washes of oil build on these traces. Using a large brush attached to a long pole, I make loose, gestural marks that tighten as the story progresses. The figures become clearer while their relationships remain unsettled.

Biography

Erin McGee Ferrell is a contemporary American painter based in Louisville, Kentucky. She graduated from Mount Holyoke College in 1994 with a BFA in Studio Art and a minor in African Studies, and studied in Nigeria during her undergraduate years.

Her exhibitions include Formula 1 Bahrain through an American Artist's Eyes during Bahrain's 2024 Spring of Culture, the 2025 Jeju Art for Earth Festival in South Korea, and She Rides! at Garner LARGE in Louisville. Her work is in the Bahrain International Circuit's permanent collection.

Ferrell has worked with cancer researchers through artist residencies at Arizona State University and Columbia University. She has taught at the University of New England, spoken at Effat University through the U.S. Speaker Program, and taught artisans with Turquoise Mountain in AlUla.

For more, see Exhibitions & CV and Projects & Press.

Current Representation

Garner Narrative Gallery & Garner LARGE Gallery
Louisville, Kentucky, USA
garnernarrative@gmail.com
+1 502-303-7259

Cross Gate Gallery
Lexington, Kentucky, USA
info@crossgategallery.com
+1 859-233-3856

Past Gallery Relationships

Art Concept Gallery
Bahrain
contact@artconceptbh.com
+973 3330 9294

Venn + Maker
United States Office
Brunswick, Maine 04011, USA
vmteam@vennandmaker.com
+1 207-272-5232

United Kingdom Office
9 Cranley Mews
London SW7 3BX
United Kingdom
+44 7818 016 593

Washington Gallery
715 Washington Ave
Waco, TX 76701
United States
+1 254-717-6398