Erin Ruiz

Erin Ruiz considers herself primarily an illustrator, and is known for her quirky narrative scenes, often centered upon exaggerated human figures. Her self-described stylistic range spans from “tongue-in-cheek” to “darkly haunting.” More broadly, she thinks of her work as a “[demonstration] that the absurd and the freakish qualities can also be beautiful and aesthetically pleasing.” Ruiz’s projects often begin with abstract concepts, or with the ideas she accumulates while listening continuously to music. Her stylistic influences include late-Renaissance Flemish painters as well as comic-book artists. She is also a tattoo artist and a regular illustrator for a Boise, Idaho newspaper.