About Emily

Baltimore City
Emily Dierkes Rohrer was born in New York City in 1984. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Syracuse University in 2006 with a BFA in painting, receiving the Hiram Gee Senior Painting Award. She spent her junior year at Syracuse's campus in Florence, focusing on art history and antique painting techniques. In Spring 2011, she received a Kempinski Young Arts Support Fellowship and was artist in residence at the Baltschug Kempinski Hotel in city center Moscow. She has shown in… more

MFA Work 2014-2015

Mixed media works based on surface pattern, American quilting traditions, and nail art. MFA program, Towson University
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Ladies I've Loved 2013

Series of works based on my favorite women in art
history, inspired in part, by Grace Hartigan's paintings of
historical women subjects. Turner matte Neo Color paint on panel, painted from black and white copies of the works in question- color is subjective.
  • Byzantine Beyoncé
    Byzantine Beyoncé
    Matte poly-vinyl acrylic paint on panel. 24" x 18," 2013. From the Ravenna mosaic of the Empress Theodora.
  • Weimar Woman
    Weimar Woman
    Matte poly-vinyl acrylic paint on panel. 24" x 24" 2014. Based on Otto Dix's "Portrait of the Journalist Sylvia von Harden," 1926.
  • Mamochka Iconica
    Mamochka Iconica
    Matte poly-vinyl acrylic paint on panel, 24" x 24," 2013. From Natalia Goncharova's "Virgin and Child," 1911, a gem in theTretyakov Gallery, Moscow.

Historical Fiction 2012

In college, I began two series of painting which I have continually revisited, both based on photography. The first, my Polaroitraits, based on Polaroids.The second series was based on found, vintage photographs I have collected on my travels which I am now referring to as "Historical Fiction." I have always been a fan of the eponymous literature genre and like the books I love, these paintings have their roots in history. My process begins in the markets of Berlin, Moscow, Istanbul, New York- I scavenge through junk stores and flea markets finding old photographs which interest me. Then, the research begins- I estimate the time period of the photographs and hypothesize who might be the subject and then I begin layering images- symbols of folk art, politics, religion, nature, etc. Text also plays an important part in the works- I have always had an interest in language and I incorporate famous proverbs and sayings into the pieces. I find this series (which I began in 2005 and have recently revisited) to be of incredible inspiration for me- I have a seemingly endless amount of vintage photographs and inspiration books from which to create compositions.
  • Ali Presley in 'Flaming Star'
    Ali Presley in 'Flaming Star'
    mixed media and glitter on canvas, 30"x 30" x 30," 2012
  • Armut dibine düser (A pear will fall to its root)
    Armut dibine düser (A pear will fall to its root)
    Oil and collage on panel, 24" x 24," 2013
  • Nazar Boncugu Ladies
    Nazar Boncugu Ladies
    mixed media on panel, 24"x 24", 2012
  • Mr. Ali's Field Trip
    Mr. Ali's Field Trip
    mixed media, 24"x 24", 2012
  • The falcon sees her chicks as swans
    The falcon sees her chicks as swans
    Mixed media on panel, 48" x 24," 2013
  • Every Bachelor Feels like a Sultan
    Every Bachelor Feels like a Sultan
    mixed media on panel, 48"x 24", 2012
  • Mashallah, betches!
    Mashallah, betches!
    mixed media on panel, 30"x 20", 2012
  • (Although there's nothing to eat,) Life is fun!
    (Although there's nothing to eat,) Life is fun!
    mixed media on panel, 24"x 24", 2012, Collection of T & G Russo
  • (You know your friends,) When Trouble Comes
    (You know your friends,) When Trouble Comes
    mixed media on panel, 24"x 24", 2012
  • Max n' Vlad (A soldier who doesn't dream of becoming a general is a bad one)
    Max n' Vlad (A soldier who doesn't dream of becoming a general is a bad one)
    mixed media on panel, 24"x 24", 2012