About

Erik Jacobsen (b. 1987) is an American paper artist currently living in Jersey City, NJ. He cuts and tears paper to shreds as a therapeutic outlet to respond to the world around him. Collaging paper allows Erik to connect with his inner child by demonstrating nostalgia for early childhood methods to make sense of his current reality today. By reimagining omnipresent and banal imagery, Erik highlights a loss of innocence, bringing social and political issues to light. The moniker for his studio, Erik’s Paper Route, is a nod to newspaper delivery and a declaration of Erik's chosen artistic path. He is proudly a part of the LGBTQIA+ community.

In 2023, Erik participated in Art Fair 14C--his first art fair--which has led to commissions and opportunities to display work in two NORDSTROM locations in New York, Gallery 14c in Jersey City, NJ, CSM Art & Frame in Chatham, NJ, and AQUA Art Miami in Miami, FL.

Some backstory:
After moving to Greenpoint, Brooklyn in 2016, Erik was first inspired by the litter and discarded candy wrappers scattered all over the sidewalks. The grittiness of NYC was in stark contrast to the pristine streets of Washington, DC where Erik had previously lived for 10 years. After photographing dozens of wrappers in New York, a light bulb went off and Erik wondered how he could relate the packaging of these omnipresent brands to his life as a gay man in America today.

Erik's Paper Route was officially born in 2018 after a long day of endless scrolling on social media. After seeing so many perfectly filtered photos on Instagram, he dropped his phone and reached for a stack of red paper sitting on his desk. He ripped the paper to spell out the phrase "Stop Comparing Yourself To Everyone Else" as a reminder that what you see online is not always reality.

Since then, Erik moved to Jersey City, NJ in 2022, where his work has continued to evolve, relating to decaying candy-coated values, American identity, love, and sexuality. Erik is passionate about paper as a medium to express himself--it's layered and imperfect like all of us.

Erik’s Paper Route’s work has been featured on the Travel Channel and printed in Washingtonian Magazine, OUT, Rockridge Press, Union Square and Co. (Barnes & Noble publishing arm) and W42st Magazine.

Markets
Greenpointers Valentine’s Market
Greenpointers Spring Market
Brooklyn Artist & Fleas’s Williamsburg

Current and Upcoming Exhibitions
AQUA Art Miami - December 4-8, 2024, in Miami, FL. (Participation in conjunction with Gallery 14c. Piece on view: Folded Together, 2024)

Jersey City Art & Studio Tour 2024 (JCAST) - Artist Open Studios, October 5-6, 2024, 1-5pm, in Jersey City, NJ

WAR/PEACE Art Show at Gallery 14c, October 4, 2024-January 19, 2025 in Jersey City, NJ
Curated by Robinson Holloway (Piece on view: Push Button, 2024)

Bug Themed Art Show at NORDSTROM’S LOCAL WEST VILLAGE store, August 2024-present in New York, NY

Past Exhibitions
PRIDE Art Show at NORDSTROM’s flagship NYC store, June 7-July 7, 2024 in New York, NY

Art Fair 14c Exhibitor, October 12-15, 2023 at Liberty State Park in Jersey City, NJ.

Food For Thought: A Nostalgic Paper Route by Erik Jacobsen
November 2-29, 2018 at Baked & Wired in Washington, DC.
In his first series, Food for Thought: A Nostalgic Paper Route, Erik demonstrates nostalgia for his early childhood with recreations of candy and food packaging.

Press
Canvas Rebel Magazine: Meet Erik Jacobsen
Artist Spotlight: How Litter Inspired the Playful Erik’s Paper Route

Other Work
I also design book covers and interiors by day. I absolutely love conceptualizing ideas for new projects and distilling an entire book (or television show) into a singular graphic. Please check out my portfolio of book cover designs and entertainment key art marketing at ErikJacobsenDesigns.com

Thanks for stopping by!