Erizku was born in Ethiopia and raised in New York City's South Bronx neighborhood,[1] He cultivated an interest in photography at Cooper Union, where he earned a BFA degree in 2010.
With his works, he displayed mastery of the cultural landscape, invoking Hip hop including homages to artists such as Marcell Duchamp, David Hammons, Donald Judd.
[citation needed] "Although Erizku's work abounds with signifiers and indicators of African American culture, it speaks more broadly to a universal quest for self-discovery.
"I thought it would be interesting to replace the stacked boxes with basketball hoops, a reference to David Hammons, and also signifiers of my life in New York City," Erizku said of his work.
[7] In 2018, Erizku launched his first solo exhibition in Asia, Slow Burn, where it included large neon light pieces hanging on the walls.
These neon lights inspired by the streets of Hong Kong depict imagery representing culture, law enforcement, and identity as the press release detailed it.
As Marianna Cerini[8] writes on the exhibition, Erizku also provided a mixtape that is incorporated for viewers to engage with that includes Kendrick Lamar and numerous artists.