Erin Jane Nelson

Erin Jane Nelson’s practice is grounded in photography sourced from her archive of found and original images. She often works serially, with each project delving into new conceptual frameworks as far-ranging as regional histories of the Southern barrier islands, formative personal relationships, spirituality as a process of mourning and healing, and science fiction narratives. Through speculative world-building, layering everyday materials, and historical research, her work broadly explores the psychological impact of the climate crisis through a feminist lens. Raised in the American South and based in Atlanta, Nelson travels throughout 

the region to photograph her surroundings and experiences. She intuitively merges these images onto unexpected support structures—including silk, hand-crafted quilts, panels, and ceramic inspired by vernacular craft objects and the history of collage—their multiple references engaging the nuanced anxiety, conflict, and humor of the present and immediate future.

Erin Jane Nelson lives and works in Atlanta, GA. In 2011 she received her BFA from The Cooper Union. Recent solo exhibitions include the Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia, Atlanta, GA (2021); DOCUMENT, Chicago, IL (2020); Chapter NY, New York, NY (2023); and Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, Atlanta, GA (2019). Her work has been featured in group exhibitions at the Carnegie Museum of Art (upcoming 2024) The Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY (2021); Aspen Art Museum, Aspen, CO (2020); Fries Museum, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands (2020); La Galerie, Centre d’Art Contemporain, Noisy-le-Sec, France (2019); and Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich, Germany (2018). Nelson was the recipient of a 2023 Guggenheim Fellowship in the Creative Arts.