Erica Deeman


Erica Deeman is a British visual artist of Jamaica descent considering the liminal and transitory spaces in which Black identities are formed. Deeman’s work is interdisciplinary in nature, and she creates in both physical and virtual spaces. She lives and works between San Francisco, California, and Seattle, Washington.

Works

''Silhouettes''

Deeman's first body of work Silhouettes appeared at Pier 24 Photography and in 2017. The series consists of thirty images of women from the African Diaspora whom she invited into her studio whilst she was a student at the . Deeman created this work as a means to build community as a new immigrant within the United States. She considers the Black femme form and the gaze of Western art, subverting notions of beauty only granted historically to a select few. The works speak to the role and legacy of portraiture and what is seen and unseen in these depictions. Within this setting she considers her own identity. The photographs are printed at 45 inches x 45 inches rendering each collaborator at scale and impact.

The ''Brown'' Series

In her second body of work, Deeman collaborated with men from the African Diaspora set against a brown background close to the artists own skin color. Deeman again created a network and community with this body of work, inviting strangers, friends and acquaintances into her to make the images. Deeman sees the work as challenging the archive of violence in photography, creating tender and delicate portraits. Thirty portraits are currently on display in at Pier 24 Photography.

''Familiar Stranger''

Deeman turned the lens on herself for the first time in 2019 while in residence at . Continuing to use an analog approach to portraiture, Deeman used the black-and-white images she created of herself and translated them into 3D printed molds and then, finally, imprinted them in Cassius Obsidian clay. She wanted to consider and expand on what the photography could be. Deeman is inspired by the writings of cultural theorist Stuart Hall, and titled the work after his posthumously published autobiography. Hall’s theories of becoming resonated with her especially his connection to Jamaica and the United Kingdom a mirror of her own cultural identity. During this time Deeman was also working on images for the which deeply influenced her to consider what is left behind to be remembered by.

Exhibitions

Permanent collections

Education

  • 2000:, Leeds, UK: BA Public Relations.
  • 2014:, California: BFA Photography.
  • 2022:, Berkeley, California: MFA Art Practice