CURRENT OFFERING: ERIK FOSS

Release 02/08/2026

Erik Foss is a self-taught American artist, born in Elgin, Illinois, in 1973 and raised in the desert outskirts of Phoenix, Arizona. His early influences were shaped by the American cultural landscape—rooted in a religious upbringing, skateboarding, underground music, and other defining elements of late 20th-century subcultures.

In 1996, Foss relocated to New York City, where he immersed himself in downtown Manhattan’s nightlife, the skateboarding scene, and the burgeoning DIY (Do-It-Yourself) gallery movement. The DIY scene, a grassroots, artist-led movement, enabled artists to create and exhibit work independently of traditional commercial galleries or institutional frameworks. This cultural ecosystem became a lasting foundation for Foss’s artistic sensibilities and continues to inform his work today.

Foss has developed a distinctive visual language that combines vibrant color, urban imagery, and autobiographical references to explore themes of addiction, consumer culture, violence, redemption, and personal transformation. Drawing inspiration from both street culture and art history, Foss creates layered compositions that juxtapose beauty and decay, often incorporating symbols associated with contemporary American life. His work reflects on the complexities of modern existence while maintaining a deep personal perspective shaped by his own life experiences and recovery journey. Through a combination of expressive mark-making, found imagery, and symbolic narratives, Foss examines the tensions between excess and restraint, vulnerability and resilience, chaos and hope.

Over the past two decades, Foss has exhibited extensively throughout the United States and internationally. His work has been presented in numerous solo and group exhibitions and has been featured at major art fairs and institutions. He has collaborated with a wide range of artists, musicians, and cultural organizations, further expanding his influence beyond the traditional boundaries of contemporary painting.

Selected Exhibitions

·   2026 & Upcoming 

Future FWD Gallery, New York New York (Solo Show - September 2026)

“001”, Future FWD Gallery, New York, USA (Group Show)

“Have a Heart”, Zepster Gallery, New York, USA (Group Show)

“Working Through It”, Group Therapy, New York, USA (Group Show)

“Friends with the Owner”, Library 180, New York, USA (Group Show)

·   2025

“Anti-Fascist Zine Fair”, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA), San Francisco, USA (Group Show)

“Arthaus 2025” Ethan Cohen Gallery, Basel, Switzerland (Art Fair)

“Expo Chicago 2025“, Ethan Cohen Gallery, Chicago, USA (Art Fair)

“Goodbye Horses“, Ethan Cohen Gallery, New York, USA (Group Show)

“Art Palm Beach 2025”, Ethan Cohen Gallery, Palm Beach, USA (Art Fair)

“Cherry Picking“, The Hole, New York, USA (Group Show)

·   2024

“And/Or”, Marquee Projects, Bellport, USA (Group Show) 

“In Plain Sight”, Connect Gallery, New York, USA (Group Show) 

“Art Dubai 2024” Plan X Gallery, Dubai, UAE (Art Fair)  

“Triumph Over Self”, Plan X Gallery, Milan, Italy (Group Show)

“Flower Power”, Cellar Contemporary Art, Trent, Italy (Group Show)

·   2023

“I Was Only Dreaming”, Club Rhubarb, New York, USA (Group Show)

“Roma Arte in Nuvola 2023”, Cellar Contemporary Art, Rome, Italy (Art Fair)

“ArtVerona 2023”, Cellar Contemporary Art, Verone, Italy (Art Fair)

“Snakes and Shapes”, Cellar Contemporary Art, Trent, Italy (Group Show)

“The Armory Show 2023”, Kaikai Kiki Gallery, New York, USA (Group Show)

“Carnival“, Kaikai Kiki Gallery, Tokyo, Japan (Solo Show)

“Contemporary Approaches to Abstraction” Shin Gallery, New York, USA (Group Show)

·   2022

“Untitled: An Insight on US Art on Paper”, Cellar Contemporary Art, Trent, Italy (Group Show)

“Songs of Spring”, Août Gallery, Beirut, Lebanon (Group Show)

·   2021

“Unearthed by JC”, Mindy Solomon Gallery, Miami, USA (Group Show)

“Serpents and Rainbows”, New Image Art Gallery, Los Angeles, USA (Solo Show)

·   2020

“Échafaudage”, Galerie C.O.A, Montreal, Canada, (Group Show)

“Erik Foss: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy”, Padre Gallery, New York, USA (Solo Show)

·   2019

“Good Taste”, Dover Street Market, Los Angeles, USA (Group Show)

·   2018

“Erik Foss: The Harvest”, Boo-Hooray, Montauk, USA (Solo Show)

·   2017

“Should Your Soul Rise Up to Heaven Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead”, Castor Gallery, USA, (Solo Show)