Paintings
71 works
Eric Stefanski Grocery List For Sale
Eric Stefanski
Grocery List, 2023
Charcoal on heavyweight paper
11 x 14 in 27.9 x 35.5 cm
Edition
Unqiue
About this work
Eric Stefanski's "Grocery List" presents an intimate departure in medium while maintaining the artist's singular focus on language as visual form. Rendered in charcoal on heavyweight paper, the work captures the familiar scrawl of a handwritten shopping list, each item carrying the weight of domestic ritual and the quiet poetry of everyday necessity. The charcoal medium lends a softness and immediacy distinct from Stefanski's characteristic acrylic paintings, with smudged edges and varying pressure creating a sense of urgency and impermanence that mirrors how such lists are actually made—quickly, without pretension, soon to be discarded. The composition transforms mundane inventory into something approaching confession. Words stack and overlap with the rhythm of thought itself, some entries rendered in bold decisive strokes while others fade at the margins, half-remembered or second-guessed. This tension between legibility and obscurity speaks to Stefanski's ongoing investigation of text as emotional residue—the idea that handwriting preserves not just information but the psychological state of its author. A grocery list becomes a portrait of need, habit, and the small negotiations of daily life. Within Stefanski's broader practice, this work on paper demonstrates the versatility of his conceptual framework while offering collectors an accessible entry point to his text-based investigations. The intimate scale invites close viewing, rewarding sustained attention with subtle tonal variations and the gestural evidence of the artist's hand. For inquiries regarding acquisition of "Grocery List," interested collectors are encouraged to contact Guy Hepner gallery directly.
Price on Application
Edition & Provenance
- Year
- 2023
- Medium
- Charcoal on heavyweight paper
- Edition
- Unqiue
More from this series
More series by Eric Stefanski
About the Works on Paper Series
Eric Stefanski's Works on Paper series showcases a compelling collection of introspective and emotionally raw pieces that capture the artist's distinctive voice. Through mixed media and drawing techniques, Stefanski explores themes of self-reflection, desire, and the mundane moments that define human experience. Titles such as I Love Myself I Hate Myself and Thirsty reveal the series' unflinching examination of internal contradiction and longing, while works like Grocery List and Show's Over ground these psychological investigations in everyday observation.
This series represents a significant body of work that demonstrates Stefanski's ability to translate complex emotional states into visually engaging compositions. The accessibility of the works on paper format, combined with their conceptual depth, has made this collection increasingly sought after by collectors interested in contemporary figurative and conceptual practice.
These pieces remain vital acquisitions for those building thoughtful contemporary collections. Several works from the series are available for purchase, and additional pieces may be acquired through direct inquiry.
About Eric Stefanski
Eric Stefanski is a Chicago based artist known for large scale abstract paintings that incorporate bold, handwritten text. He studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and earned his MFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, in 2015.
Stefanski's work merges expressive mark making with direct, often humorous or self-deprecating phrases, using language as a way into larger themes around vulnerability, failure, and the pressures of maintaining a creative practice. His large-scale canvases favor vibrant color and bold lettering, with text functioning less as slogan and more as fragments of internal dialogue, blending humor with genuine emotional weight. Through this approach, Stefanski examines what it means to sustain a life as a working artist, treating uncertainty and contradiction as part of the process rather than something to resolve.
His work has been shown extensively in Chicago and Boston, along with solo exhibitions in cities including Tokyo and Madrid, and has continued to expand into galleries and institutions internationally.
He continues to live and work in Chicago.
Guy Hepner works with collectors seeking Eric Stefanski's bold, text-driven abstract paintings. Contact us to discuss available inventory or to inquire about upcoming releases.