Eric Kunsman

Eric T. Kunsman (b. 1975) was born and raised in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. While in high school, he was heavily influenced by the death of the steel industry and its place in American history. Exposure to Walker Evans's work during this time hooked Eric onto photography. Eric had the privilege of studying under Lou Draper, who became Eric’s most formative mentor. He credits Lou with influencing his approach as an educator, photographer, and contributing human being.

Eric holds an MFA in Book Arts/Printmaking from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, an MS in Electronic Publishing/Graphic Arts Media, a BS in Biomedical Photography, and a BFA in Fine Art photography, all from the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York.

He is a photographer and book artist based out of Rochester, New York. Eric works at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) as an Assistant Professor in the Visual Communications Studies Department at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf and is an adjunct professor for the School of Photographic Arts & Sciences. He also owns Booksmart Studio, which is a fine art digital printing studio specializing in numerous techniques and services for photographers and book artists on a collaborative basis.

Eric is a 2024 JGS Fellowship for Photography Recipient from The New York Foundation for the Arts. He was named one of 10 B&W photographers to watch of 2018 by BWGallerist; B&W Best Photographers of the Year 2019 & 2021 by Dodho Magazine; won the Association of Photography (UK) Gold Award for Open Series in 2019; Finalist, Top 200 Critical Mass 2019, 2020, 2021; Top 50 Critical Mass in 2022; Top 15 Photographers for the Rust Belt Biennial; and Lensculture Critics' Choice 2022 and B&W Jurors’ Pick 2021. His Project Felicific Calculus was also awarded a Warhol Foundations Grant through CEPA Gallery in Buffalo, NY.

Eric has held over 40 solo exhibitions and counting. His work has been exhibited in over 250 galleries and museums and featured in Bloomberg Businessweek, Harper’s Magazine, LensWork, Loupe Magazine, Dodho, B&W Photography, Analog Explorations, All About Photo, Black+White Photography (UK), The Washington Post, and Dek Unu. He has also been featured in online articles by Analog Forever Magazine, Catalyst: Interview, Texas Photo Society, and others.