Artist Statement

I have always been passionate about the concepts of costuming and disguise. Throughout the ages, the desire to become a different being has always been a part of human culture. From ancient Egyptian crowns and wigs and Native American headdresses to the bejeweled crowns of European monarchs, all were worn symbols conveying super-human status. In contrast, the symbolic donning of animal skins practiced by the Aborigines to channel the spirit of their prey, or the masks of the Italian Renaissance were used to transform, or conceal, rather than expose the wearer’s identity.

These concepts coupled with my admiration of nature and interest in mythology fueled my desire to create masks. Through mask making I was able to combine my creativity, love of wildlife and human culture into my artwork. In 2004, I decided to start Erik’s Inspiration. This gave me the opportunity to incorporate my passions into a line of unique hand made masks. Using the age-old techniques of papier-mâché developed by the Italian Mascherari, I aimed to create a modern take on the Venetian mask resulting in a more contemporary wearable art form. My masks are airbrushed and/or hand painted, adorned with natural and dyed feathers, genuine Austrian crystals and a variety of gems and stones.

I graduated from Rutgers University in 1993 with a bachelor’s of arts in biology. In addition to my courses in biology, I minored in anthropology and took several courses in fine arts including drawing, painting and art history.

My masks have been displayed in several boutiques and galleries including Cirque du Soleil internationally, HPGRP Galleries in NYC, and Maskarade in New Orleans.