Erica Gajewski is a Canadian visual artist whose work explores the lives of other animals enmeshed within the complexities of biodiversity loss, human and other animal relations, and socio-ecological systems. She is presently working toward a Ph.D. in Environmental Studies at York University in Toronto, Canada. Her practice-based interdisciplinary research merges areas of Animal Studies, Environment and Cultural Studies, and Visual Arts to investigate links in understanding between animal representation, species loss, environmental degradation, and resurgence.
In 2017, as part of her doctoral work, she started Farm Project, about an hour and a half from the city of Toronto. The farm provided a space to examine and reimagine human and other animal relations. Previous material work has focused on concepts of time, absence/loss/presence. She combines art, research, academic discourse, and education with lived experiences among other animals to help facilitate greater thought, awareness, respect, and consideration for their lives, our shared environments, and mutually contingent futures.
Erica Ann Gajewski was born in Oshawa, Ontario. An upbringing playing sports led her to be part of two Ontario provincial soccer championships, a Canadian national silver medal, and one Ontario provincial running championship. She later received a full athletic scholarship to the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, GA, earning a B.F.A and M.F.A while competing in soccer and cross-country running. The soccer team was ranked 21st nationally, while she placed 12th regionally as a runner in the Florida Sun Conference, holding an All-American Academic title. She captained the running team and later coached, as a graduate assistant coach, both the men’s and women’s cross-country teams.