Phoenix Fine Arts and Design
Originally from Liberia, Eric B. Ricks is a celebrated muralist, sustainable arts creative, and founder of Phoenix Fine Arts & Design. Always evolving, Ricks is a focused and expressive student of the arts. Embracing photography early on, Ricks quickly developed as a natural creative, gravitating to the fine arts where he explored traditional canvas painting with oil and acrylic mediums.
After briefly studying film photography in college, Ricks became immersed in the culture and aesthetics of the aerosol street art scene. His passion for painting on canvas crossed paths with the hip-hop and graffiti culture. Soon he began painting along the railroad tracks retaining walls (by his home) in Montgomery County, easily transitioning into a muralist, conceptualizing and installing large-scale graffiti art projects. Rick's creative energy caught the attention of the prominent photographer behind ‘The Shame of a Nation,’ and documentarian of Washington area stage productions, George de Vincent. The two developed a special relationship, drawing from a mutual love for the arts, and inspiring the next generation.
Rick's love for nature inspired his latest artistic expression, sculpted metal butterflies and roses. Made from the waist material from mural projects, he managed to reduce his carbon footprint by turning the spray paint cans into beautiful art pieces.
In 2014 Rick's creative journey continued with a seven-month trip across the country, painting murals along the way (Portland, Las Vegas, Cleveland, and St. Louis), leaving his signature ‘humming bird’ and expanding his body of work as a muralist.
Ricks continues to raise the bar with his murals, selected numerous times to produce commissioned work for both public and private entities, including, the Virginia Commission for the Arts, DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Murals DC, Busboys and Poets, Ben's Chili Bowl, Kercus, Fitness Optimus Gym, and many more. He was the first-place winner of the Illuminated Village Mural painting competition. Ricks has been featured in several publications, including the Washington Post, and Voice of America, talking exclusively about his commissioned work in Takoma Park, MD, as well as his position on the graffiti culture in Washington, DC.
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“The more you do it the more it comes to life. I paint because I have to, because I’m slightly obsessed with the medium and what’s possible, and obsessed with learning because the more I evolve the better I become. I’m amazed by the magic, and I find I’m not trying… it’s more effortless over time and I’m learning to get out of my own way and let it happen."
~ Eric B. Ricks
Check my art out on the roof.
Dio Wine Bar Washington D.C.
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"Eric is a pleasure to work with. He takes the time needed to understand your concept, and from that, make something even more creative and compelling. He is professional, efficient, and easy to work with."
-Stacey Khoury-Diaz
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