Emberly Modine (b. 1975) was born in Utah, and spent her childhood growing up in Moab; a small town in the Canyonlands. This distinct landscape, dominated by carved monolith stone and ancient sculpted trees, is foundational to her practice; inspired by the undulating marks of the elements and time.

Emberly’s early years unfolded during the great cultural shift of the 1970's. As personal liberation and rebellion against authority became key themes of the decade, so were they key themes in Emberly's upbringing. Proud feminism, anti-violence and the cultivation of perceptual curiosity were embedded in her kid’s books and conversation.

Growing up in a community shaped by Mormon homesteaders, Dinéh peoples, miners, and environmentalists, Modine received an early, unflinching education in post-colonialism, racism, displacement, and ecological identity. Social hierarchies revolved around land and resource access—attachments that defined one's standing in the community. Children played freely together until adolescence, when divisions began to mirror the adult world.

In the early 19th century, landscape painting became a means for expressing American identity and documenting the westward expansion. Emberly situates herself in this American landscape tradition, but instead turns a scrutinizing eye towards this ‘identity’, Questioning the meaning of human narrative in relation to the land, she traces themes of occupation, sentiment and myth, in contrast to geophysical forces and just plain erosion.

Emberly Modine attended the San Francisco Art Institute. She lives and works in Los Angeles.