Erin Holly
Biography
Erin Holly (b.1986) is a London-based emerging artist whose oeuvre confronts the politics of gender and sexuality embedded in our built environment.
Having graduated from the City and Guilds School of Art in London, Holly's artistic practice spans from the creation of small watercolours to public large-scale murals. Addressing a variety of themes Holly’s dynamic work provides a discourse on the politics of space and inclusion, trans identity, embodiment, and contemporary social categorizations. Drawing upon photographic source material from aspirational interior advertisements and catalogue images, Holly skilfully weaves together images of colourful homes with provocative visions of a utopian future. In pursuit of unveiling how capitalism has commodified the spaces we inhabit, Erin points to the transformative potential of the artistic imagination to create new ways of both being and seeing. Erin’s work powerfully destabilises the prevailing power structures that enforce binary gender relations and the forms of violence that often accompany them.
Although Erin’s artworks are primarily executed on canvas, she also creates commanding outdoor murals serving to activate public spaces and challenge normative conventions. As tangible demonstrations of Holly's commitment to social justice and the democratisation of artistic practice, Holly reveals art’s transformative potential to enact real-world change. Her murals and community-oriented works can be found all over the world, with projects based in the US, Switzerland and India.
Works
Exhibitions
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Journeys – 'On Paper'
5 Jun - 13 Jul 2024JD Malat Gallery is thrilled to announce 'Journeys', an online exhibition showcasing nine artists' works on paper. The medium of paper serves as a vital bridge, seamlessly connecting the intangible...Read more -
Contemporary Figuration: Between Body & Metaphor
14 Dec 2023 - 27 Jan 2024The body is a physical and material being. However, it can also reflect a person's spirit, sense of 'self' or embrace metaphors of our contemporary age. This exhibition seeks to...Read more -
Erin Holly: A Trans Arrangement of The Painted Space
16 Nov - 9 Dec 2023JD Malat Gallery proudly announces Erin Holly's first London solo exhibition titled A Trans Arrangement of the Painted Space. The exhibition will be on display from the 16th November until...Read more -
Summer Exhibition 2023
10 Aug - 2 Sep 2023JD Malat Gallery is proud to present its Summer Exhibition of 2023 with works by Andy Moses, Ayanfe Olarinde, Andrew Litten, Conrad Jon Godly, Ed Moses, Emily Gillbanks, Erin Holly,...Read more
Press
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Contemporary Figuration: Between body & Metaphor
Meer, January 16, 2024 -
Painting Architectural Lines and Spaces: An Interview with Erin Holly
Amanda-Jane Reynolds , Artists Responding To..., January 8, 2024 -
BBC RADIO LONDON: Gallery director discusses 'Contemporary Figuration: Between Body & Metaphor'
Jumoké Fashola, BBC Radio London, January 7, 2024 -
A Refreshing Take on Figurative Painting at JD Malat Gallery
Lee Sharrock, CULTURALEE, December 18, 2023 -
ART PLUGGED: Contemporary Figuration: Between Body & Metaphor
Art Plugged, December 15, 2023 -
Erin Holly: A Trans arrangement of The Painted Space
Meer, December 6, 2023 -
FINANCIAL TIMES: ERIN HOLLY FINALIST FOR THIS YEAR'S INGRAM PRIZE
Collector Chris Ingram on why philanthropists need to step up to support UK galleriesMelanie Gerlis, Financial Times, November 20, 2023 -
A Trans Arrangement of The Painted Space: QX talks to Erin Holly about her solo exhibition at Mayfair’s JD Malat Gallery.
QX, QX Magazine, November 18, 2023 -
ERIN HOLLY: A TRANS ARRANGEMENT OF THE PAINTED SPACE
Annie Pereira, Art Plugged, November 2, 2023 -
JD MALAT GALLERY PRESENTS A SOLO SHOW OF THE BRITISH ARTIST ERIN HOLLY
Ilya, 300 Magazine, October 28, 2023 -
COMING SOON: ERIN HOLLY'S SOLO EXHIBITION AT JD MALAT GALLERY, MAYFAIR
Victoria Moy , The Mayfair Musings , October 26, 2023