Sisterhood

Sisterhood – Original Abstract Mixed Media Painting on Canvas by Erin McGrath Rieke

About this Artwork

Sisterhood is a 20x20 original mixed media painting on canvas created in 2023 by Erin McGrath Rieke. Constructed through an intricate layering of acrylic paint, vintage novel pages, and fragments of musical scores, the piece explores the evolving narratives of identity, kinship, and resilience.

The composition weaves together color, text, and texture, forming a visual dialogue between personal memory and collective experience. Pieces of printed language and music move beneath and through the paint, suggesting the inherited stories and cultural rhythms that shape ideas of womanhood, motherhood, and sisterhood. Through this layered assemblage, the artwork reflects both the weight of tradition and the quiet agency individuals possess to reinterpret and redefine these roles.

As the materials intersect and overlap, Sisterhood becomes both a personal meditation and a broader reflection on connection. The interplay between structured fragments of text and expressive abstraction raises questions about belonging, solidarity, and the emotional ties that bind people together. Do these relationships strengthen and sustain us, or do we sometimes hold onto them in search of meaning that has yet to be fulfilled?

The textured surface and thoughtful composition invite viewers to linger with the work, uncovering subtle details embedded within the layers. In its raw yet deliberate construction, Sisterhood offers a space for reflection on the tension between inherited narratives and personal transformation.

Artwork Details

Artist: Erin McGrath Rieke
Title: Sisterhood
Year Created: 2023
Medium: Mixed media on canvas (acrylic, vintage novel pages, vintage musical scores, adhesive)
Artwork Size: 20 W x 20 H x 2 D in
Style: Abstract / Contemporary Abstract
Subject: Identity, kinship, resilience
Series: N/A
Original Artwork: One-of-a-kind
Frame: Optional

Additional Information

Erin McGrath Rieke’s mixed media practice often integrates found materials and layered textures to explore themes of memory, identity, and social narrative. In Sisterhood, the use of vintage literature and musical notation introduces historical and cultural context, embedding fragments of past voices within the painting’s contemporary abstract structure.

The 20 x 20 square format provides a balanced composition that allows the layered materials to interact across the canvas without hierarchy. Subtle glimpses of text and notation appear through the acrylic surface, creating moments of discovery that reveal themselves gradually as the viewer spends time with the piece.

The 2-inch gallery-depth canvas enhances the sculptural quality of the layered materials, allowing the work to stand confidently on its own or integrate into a curated collection of contemporary abstract and mixed media artworks.

Collecting Original Artwork

Original mixed media paintings by Erin McGrath Rieke combine expressive abstraction with layered conceptual meaning. Sisterhood is a one-of-a-kind artwork that reflects the artist’s exploration of identity, shared narratives, and the evolving definitions of connection and solidarity.