Erik Durant is a figurative sculptor based in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Born in New Haven, Connecticut, he studied History and Sculpture at Southern Connecticut State University. In 2001 he moved to New Bedford to attend the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, receiving an MFA in Sculpture in 2004. Durant’s personal work is a quest to understand the human condition. As a sculptor his main interests lie in gesture, movement, and pose. His works are at times Illustrative, but always realist, exploring historical, and contemporary narratives—both known, and unknown. While many of the characters that he chooses to sculpt seem to be rooted in the past, they are his own imaginings of things not fully understood. Issues surrounding beauty, the body, and identity, give rise to a version of contemporary mythology that is new, yet seemingly familiar. In addition to his personal work, he creates custom sculptures for municipalities, private groups and individuals.