School of Art

Erika Dueck: In Between Spaces

July 6 – 31, 2015

What is known and what is unknowable?
Is it possible for the unknown to be more present and stable than the tangible reality that surrounds us? These questions drive Erika Dueck’s work as she delves into the human mind, exploring perceptions and interpretations of reality.

The interior scenes in her work function as archetypal psychological spaces, oscillating between themes of creation, destruction, and transformation. Stretching hallways lead to unknown destinations, simultaneously inviting and distancing viewers from the inaccessible connecting structures. Dueck examines how people physically navigate spaces—both occupied areas and voids—revealing how our senses can deceive us, and how fantasy can sometimes be more alluring than truth.

Erika Dueck is a Manitoba-born visual artist and a BFA (Honours) graduate from the University of Manitoba (2013). She is currently an MFA candidate at the University of Guelph. Dueck’s work has garnered several prestigious accolades, including:

  • National Winner of the BMO 1st Art! Invitational Student Art Competition
  • Recognition as one of eleven winners in the UNESCO Chair in Bioethics and Human Rights Global Art Competition

Her exhibitions span Canada—Winnipeg, Montreal, and Toronto—and extend internationally, with showings in Texas, New York, and Rome.

A darkened gallery space with three illuminated sculptural installations, each standing on wooden bases and emitting light.
A close-up of a small white sculptural structure with a slanted roof, revealing a brightly lit interior featuring intricate crystalline forms.
A detailed view of a miniature interior installation depicting blue and green crystal-like formations set against a white architectural background.
A dark, enclosed miniature scene of destruction with scattered debris and broken structures, illuminated dramatically to enhance shadows.
A miniature construction scene with scattered wooden planks, tiles, and tools leading to a bright window, suggesting an unfinished interior space.

Reception: July 30, 2015  |  4:00 – 5:30 PM