Pondering Men, 2001
Oil on Canvas
At the age of twelve, Erik Ström discovered his talent for art. His artistic skill further developed in high school, when his family moved from New Jersey to North Carolina. In 1996, he graduated with a BFA in Painting and Printmaking from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Ström finds that communicating emotion presents a significant challenge in creating art. In Pondering Men, he uses bold brush strokes and a muted color palette to capture a moment of contemplation. Ström’s exploration of sentiment, subject matter and technique are present in his other works. Before his studies at UNCG, Ström won First Place for his sculpture at the Greensboro Arts Council Annual Competition in 1991. He was also awarded First Place in Visual Art through the Sedgefield Women’s Club the same year. Later exhibitions in various Greensboro locations include showings at the Penn House (Chinquapenn Plantation), Artstock ’99, and the Vera Gallery.