BIO
Ella Dickerson Blackburn is a multidisciplinary artist whose work melds antiquity, natural curiosities, and kitschy trends in design and decor. Based in Raleigh, NC. She was raised in South Carolina and attended the University of South Carolina, earning a bachelor's degree in studio art. Her first career was interior design, and she also spent time in healthcare and technology before devoting herself to art in 2021. Inspired by funk artists Edward Keinholtz, Howard Kottler, and post modern artist Rudolf Stingel, Ella's artwork is often comprised of commercially available objects transformed through textures, finishes, and assemblage. The result is an object that is familiar and comforting, but somehow twisted into something you've never seen before. Her aesthetic is drawn from historic trends in fine interiors, consumerism, and sometimes includes very subtle post apocalyptic themes of decay.
@MattRameyPhoto
CV
*Public art permanently on display in the Francis Marion Hotel, Charleston SC
2023 Within/Without Small Group Invitational, 311 Gallery, Raleigh NC
2023 Best of the East Juried Exhibition, 311 Gallery, Raleigh NC
2023 68th Annual Juried Exhibition, Durham Art Guild, Durham NC
2022 State of the Art, CAM Museum, Wilmington NC
2022 Between2Clouds, The Matthews House, Raleigh NC
2022 Member Showcase, Durham Art Guild, Durham NC
From the Artist
As a former designer, most of my inspirations occur when considering the interiors of a space. I imagine what I want to be surrounded by in that specific environment, and when I cannot find it, I create it. This usually involves metamorphic versions of objects or images that are nostalgic to me. Transformed in a way that creates a kind of decadence, whereby it becomes a grossly exaggerated and slightly mysterious version of itself, calcified and encrusted by rock crystals, otherworldly barnacles, or swallowed by molten malachite formations. Because my vision usually involves transforming the space as a whole, I feel that my progression will lead to immersive art experiences. I am still early in my career and looking forward to this evolution of my art practice.