ABOUT
MOTIVATED BY THE DESIRE TO ELEVATE ORDINARY OBJECTS AND FAMILIAR FORMS INTO UNEXPECTED DELIGHTS, ERIKA INVESTIGATES THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN OBJECT, SCALE, AND USER. HER AESTHETIC FUSES SCULPTURAL FORMS WITH UTILITARIAN FUNCTIONALITY. WORKING AT THE INTERSECTION OF PRODUCT AND PROCESS, SHE HAS A HANDS-ON APPROACH TO DESIGN. THE WORKSHOP BECOMES THE SOURCE AND SITE OF HER CREATIVE ENERGY; BOTH LIBRARY AND LABORATORY. USING RESEARCH, INTUITION, EXPERIENCE, AND EXPERIMENT, ERIKA PURPOSEFULLY CHALLENGES LIMITATIONS TO DEVELOP INNOVATIVE METHODS AND OBJECTS.
BORN IN MICHIGAN, ERIKA IS THE FOUNDER OF ERIKA CROSS STUDIO. SHE RECEIVED AN MFA IN DESIGN PRODUCTS FROM THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF ART IN 2014. PRIOR TO THAT SHE STUDIED SIMULTANEOUSLY AT TWO UNIVERSITIES, EARNING A BFA IN ART AND DESIGN FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN IN 2011, AND A BS IN INTERIOR DESIGN AT EASTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY IN 2012.
AWARDS
2020 NYCXDESIGN AWARD BEST IN SHOW RECIPIENT
2020 HIGH POINT MARKET INNOVATION + DESIGN AWARD FINALIST
2019 ICFF STUDIO AWARD SHORTLIST
2018 LEXUS DESIGN AWARD FINALIST
2015 DESIGNBOOM DARE TO DREAM DESIGN AWARDS FINALIST
2014 CORE77 DESIGN AWARDS, STUDENT FURNITURE & LIGHTING
2014 THIERRY MUGLER/IFF DESIGN COMPETITION FINALIST
2013 FURNITURE SOCIETY ICFF AWARD
2012 NICHE AWARDS FINALIST
2011 ASFD STUDENT DESIGN COMPETITION RECIPIENT
2010 ASFD JASON PHILLIPS AWARD
2010 IFDA RUTH CLARK FURNITURE DESIGN AWARD
2010 BRIGHTON ART GUILD NORMA GREY AWARD
EXHIBITIONS
2020 WANTED DESIGN MANHATTAN LAUNCHPAD - COVID19 CANCELLATION
2020 HIGH POINT MARKET INNOVATIONxDESIGN - COVID19 CANCELLATION
2018 ANN ARBOR ART CENTER WORKS IN PROGRESS EXHIBITION
2018 BRIGHTON ART GUILD OUR TOWN EXHIBITION
2017 ARCHELLO HOW IT'S MADE EXHIBITION TORONTO
2017 WORLD DESIGN SUMMIT MONTREAL
2015 MOOD EXPO BRUSSELS
2013 ICFF NYC FOR THE FURNITURE SOCIETY
2013 ICFF NYC FOR DIS
2011 GRAND RAPIDS SITE LAB
2010 BRIGHTON ART GUILD