Erica Gosich Rose aka EGR, grew up in Burlington; a quiet suburban city just a train ride away from Toronto, Canada. Her fascination with street art intensified while traveling to and from Sheridan College for Interpretive Illustration; the aesthetics and concepts of which are still featured prominently in her work today. EGR's works can be found on crumbling city walls and in pristine art galleries, from fine art to murals, illustration and even live art. Part of EGR's appeal is her ability to bridge art, design and functional purpose. She is just as comfortable with traditional oil paints and brushes as she is wielding aerosol spraycans- in locales as far as Australia and even Florence, Italy. Pop culture and social references abound in the work of EGR, though the female perspective is a recurring staple. As women are still a minority in the boys' club of urban art, many consider her a pioneer in the street art world.



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Urbanology magazine article
Written by Olga Kirgidis for Issue # 3

Fresh from her solo show at the Graffiti Gallery in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Toronto-based artist EGR is infusing the world of street art with hope and positivity.

The well-established 20-something's work has been featured in the journal Graphotism, the Graffiti World book and in a number of gallery exhibitions and spaces. She painted Ja Rule's portrait live on MuchMusic, worked alongside NY graffiti legend Zephyr and lent her talents as a muralist to countless community art projects. In her seven years as a working artist, EGR has carved out her own style, which according to Pat Lazo, art director and curator of the Graffiti Gallery in Winnipeg, is easily recognizable and interesting.

"She uses a lot of oils and spraypaint as well as acrylics. I think the combination of all three and the overlapping and layering one another is good. When you look closely at (her pieces) you have to try and decipher how she did it which is one thing I like about her work," Lazo says. Trevor Goodwin, of the Base Gallery and (previous) art director for the Style in Progress event, which also featured EGR's work, says she's bound for success.

"EGR is easily one of the most driven artists we have featured at the Base Gallery and I predict she will enjoy longevity and collectability in her work as the primary urban demographics continue to grow," Goodwin says.

Despite the fact that many refer to her as a graffiti artist, EGR isn't fond of restrictions or labels.

"Sometimes I feel being put into the category of 'female graffiti artist' is stifling. I am attempting to push forth in the direction of fine art, and to be taken seriously for my contributions, not only as a female artist or graffiti artist, but as a contemporary artist whose work is a reflection of modern times and zeitgeist," EGR says.

What most people now would recognize as tagging started in Philadelphia in the '60s before making its way to New York City. In the early '70s graffiti, which comes from the Greek word 'graphien' meaning to write and is the plural form of the Latin word 'graffito', started to be recognized by the art world as a fresh reflection and expression of urban culture. Artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat (whose tag was Simo) and Keith Haring helped to raise the profile of graffiti art in the mainstream.

"My first recollection of [graffiti] was along the train lines in the suburb where I grew up. Most pieces were super colorful letter pieces, some legible and some not, with funny, sexy or even political characters alongside," EGR recalls. "I saw it as an underground communication system, a secret code between like-minds and ultimate creative freedom. I knew I wanted to try it and perhaps make a mark on people's perception of the art form."

Although her work is widely influenced by the urban life, EGR says she also looks elsewhere for inspiration.

"I like to play on the topics of natural landscapes versus inner city atmospheres" she explains. "My work is influenced by how we interact and communicate within our surroundings whatever they may be. In the city, I know I definitely have this pull with being one with nature and you really have to go out of your way to feel in tune with that. I'm very much an Earth sign."

EGR says her female characters, dominant figures in her work, are sometimes reflections of her mood or personality. Some of the pieces include angelic figures, which EGR says are inspired by her younger sister who passed away from (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) SIDS.

"I feel her presence with me and she gives me insight which I believe comes through in my work. I have a lot of respect for the power of our minds and consciousness," EGR says. "I try to add an element of hope in whatever I create."

With all that EGR has accomplished with her work she is seemingly unstoppable. Just like her work, there are no boundaries for EGR's success.


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EGR likes to get high ‚ by climbing ladders, scaffolding, recycling bins or whatever else is available. Of course, she doesn't have much choice in the matter, as a graffiti artist ‚ but it helps that she actually enjoys heights. Of course, getting high is just part of the high. "The rush, the scale of it and the fact that you can get your whole body into it, the physical side of it is the best," she says.

Since '96, EGR, pronounced "Eager," has gotten bizzy on the streets of Toronto, and more recently in music and style magazines, music videos and galleries around the world. Her first inspiration? "One of my high school buddies happened to point out the graffiti he did with some friends behind a shopping mall along the train-line of my home town," says EGR. "That was it ‚ I wanted to do it. I got my first five cans of Krylon, and the rest is history."

History that includes painting with one of graffiti's living legends. "I was really grateful to paint with Zephyr when he came to Toronto a few years ago," says EGR. Apparently, the feeling was mutual. "Zephyr had this moment where he was like, 'Wow, who would have thought I'd be painting with EGR one day?', and I was like, What?" she says. "How did this happen? What a crazy moment that was." Inevitably, being a female in the graffiti game comes with its own unique hardships. "I have had beef that only girls would specifically have to deal with," says EGR. "For instance, some guys need to feel a sort of ownership over the female in the group." Guys want to know if she"s single, or has a boyfriend ‚ non-issues for male graffiti practitioners. "There is more attention on the girl [doing graff], whether we like it or not, and it's not always good... It can be downright intimidating," she says. "I am lucky that now a lot of people might know who I am, so they are respectful, but I have had to earn that respect."

"I don't really care what people think," says EGR, "but I do feel it's a responsibility to rep at shows for the younger girls, so that they know there are other girls getting up and putting themselves out there." To that end, she is effusive when talking about the recent book, Graffiti Women: Five Continents of Street Art, by Nicholas Ganz. While pleased with the number of women featured, "there were women that were missing also," says EGR, "which means that there are more women contributing to the culture than you'd even think." "The book shows that women can rock it just as hard as our male counterparts, but we bring a viewpoint that is completely different," she says. While women can be hardcore, fiery and politically charged, they also "bring forth an emotional vulnerability and sensuality that men just cannot express. Not to say that men don't have the same emotions," clarifies EGR. "We just may be better equipped to communicate these emotions, and coming across in such a hardcore public medium just makes it that much more, well, hardcore."

That aesthetic is very much in keeping with EGR's own steez. "On the street my style is more rugged and loose, yet recognizable by the characters and the sultry look in the eyes of the EGR girls," she says. "My attempt is to portray figures that are both powerful yet vulnerable, hard-edge but with a soft touch."


Toronto Through the Eyes of EGR

December 14, 2006
Posted by Panthea Lee for BlogTO.com

'Erica' has hefty hankerings. Not any specific Erica, mind you, just 'Erica' in general. The name means "complete ruler" and, truth be told, blogTO thinks 'Erica' is aiming just a touch too high. Don't get us wrong, it's a lovely name and all, but the Erica's we know are nowhere close to ruling anything. (No offense to the deluded name.)

'EGR', however, now that's a name that means business.

And so it's fitting that Erica Gosich Rose , a young urban artist whose vanilla-flavoured name seemed ill-suited to her jalapeno-laced output, decided to adopt the EGR moniker for her artworld pursuits. For while the Erica's of the world were experimenting with makeup and painting their faces, EGR (pronounced 'eager') was experimenting with aerosol cans and painting public walls and trains.

EGR grew up in Burlington, Ontario, where her immersion in the creative field started at a young age. She took many drawing and painting classes, which sparked an interest in the visual arts. It wasn't until she enrolled in the Art Fundamentals and Illustration program at Sheridan College , however, that EGR really started to devote herself to her craft. While at school, EGR's already strong interest in graffiti and street art intensified, the aesthetics and concepts of which find themselves featuring prominently in her style today.

She moved to Toronto in 2000 but shunned the never-miss-a-beat tempo of the downtown core and chose, instead, to make her nest in the relative calm and quiet of the High Park area. While EGR is an enthusiastic Toronto fan--"I loved the vibe of the city; the mix of cultures, the diversity, and the buzz"--to hear her talk about her art, one can't help but wonder if real-world, physical surroundings matter much to the artist. Indeed, EGR is a head-in-the-clouds dreamer, who is happiest when completely submerged in her work.

"The best part of my work is having a connection to another world or realm when I'm painting, and when the image comes through just as I had it in my head, and makes sense in a way I wouldn't have thought," she smiles. "There is a lot of mystery in the artwork I create, and sometimes it's very revealing, exposing thoughts or fears that most people keep private. I love when people connect with the work and when they 'get it.'"

Pop culture and social references abound in the work of EGR and, though specific themes vary, the female perspective is a recurring staple. As women are still a minority in the boys' club of urban art, and EGR employs feminine motifs in her works, many consider her a pioneer in the street art world. But the modest artist shakes off the comments ruefully.

"When I first started out, it was a challenge to prove myself. Today, there are still very few women in the game, but there are more now than when I first started. I believe, however, that I am a unique artist not because I am female but because I'm very versatile," she states flatly. "I can create huge aerosol murals, illustrate for various clients, and create fine artworks and installations. I'm not what I think most male graffiti artists would consider to be a hardcore graffiti bomber. I 'get up' in new ways and am constantly pushing my art to the next level, breaking as many molds and preconceptions as I can in the process."

Her works can be found in magazines and music videos, on crumbling city walls and in pristine art galleries. Indeed, part of EGR's appeal is her ability to bridge art, design and functional purpose. She is equally appealing to street art lovers, gallery curators and corporate art directors, and just as comfortable with traditional oil paints as she is wielding aerosol cans. The artist's talents have attracted an impressive roster of clients--from prissy Tiffany & Co. to car giant Toyota to local hip hop rag Pound. Galleries the world over have welcomed her work--this year alone, EGR has participated in five group exhibits (and flaunted her stuff in three solo shows) in locales as far as Australia.

For a 27-year-old, EGR's CV is stacked. The cherry on top, however, came when UK graffiti bible Graphotism approached her, asking her to grace their cover. The magazine ended up liking her work so much, a 20-page feature was devoted to her. "The book is so huge it weighs a pound," exclaims the artist.

How does she keep sane amidst all the commissions and personal projects? Easy: a trampoline.

"Ten minutes on that baby and I feel like I could take on a small army," she laughs. "And my friends, my friends keep me grounded."