Erin Bird
Contemporary Artist, UK

Born in Upstate New York to Irish immigrant parents and now based in the UK, Erin Bird has developed an innovative technique called waterprinting. By submerging layered photographs in water, she allows fluidity and chance to guide each piece’s transformation, bridging photography and painting to produce silk-like, abstract compositions that explore memory, displacement, and impermanence.

Bird holds a BA from Camberwell College of Arts and an MA from the Royal College of Art, and her work has been exhibited internationally, including at Bankside Gallery and the Moscow Museum of Modern Art. Her art resides in notable collections such as Fontainebleau Las Vegas and The Set, Hudson Yards, NY. Recognized for her evolving art, she has been shortlisted for awards such as the 2024 Jackson Painting Prize, the Lumen Prize for Art & Technology (Still Image Award 2020), and the Gilchrist-Fisher Award for landscape painting.

Drawing on the boundary-pushing legacies of Wolfgang Tillmans and Robert Rauschenberg, Bird’s waterprinting continues a lineage of experimental photo-based practices, embracing the Abstract Expressionists’ openness to chance. At the same time, her art resonates with urgent contemporary conversations around identity in diaspora, reflecting her background as the child of Irish immigrants. In focusing on water’s power to erode boundaries and reshape landscapes, Bird symbolically addresses the fluidity of belonging and the transformative potential of uprooted experiences.

Shaper of Time

Water’s relentless flow has the power to reshape the world—transforming solid stone and altering entire terrains over centuries. Bird harnesses this natural force within her art, allowing spontaneous interactions between water and imagery to define each composition. Large-scale pieces immerse viewers in atmospheric worlds, while collage works on silk invite a more intimate, tactile engagement.

Erosion of the Past, Hope for the Future

For Bird, submerging photographs represents a metaphorical baptism—a moment where the clarity of representation dissolves into painterly abstraction, yielding new forms and meanings. This fluid transition speaks to deeper themes of reconciling inherited narratives and intergenerational wounds. By confronting both the beautiful and the painful in our past, her work suggests that genuine renewal emerges only when we acknowledge the totality of our experiences.

Reflecting on the complexities of shielding oneself and others from harsh truths, Bird states:

“Protecting you from seeing the ugly; I robbed you of the mourning that can only bring true joy.”

This sentiment underscores her belief that true joy and healing can only be found through fully experiencing sorrow—an idea that echoes throughout her entire practice.

Melanie Lenz, curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum and a Lumen Prize judge, praised Bird’s art for its

“distinctive ability to encompass fragility and boldness simultaneously.”

This delicate balance between vulnerability and strength is a defining aspect of Bird’s creations, propelling her continued exploration of photography, painting, and chance-based processes.

Engagements & Collaborations

Bird welcomes collaborations with forward-thinking galleries, art consultants, and interior designers who share her passion for bold, evocative art. She remains open to new opportunities that value creative excellence and artistic integrity, believing that her waterprints can resonate powerfully in diverse contemporary spaces.

Contact: erin@erinbird.art