Meet The Artist: Erika
Erika (she/her) is a self-taught freelance illustrator, calligrapher, poet and multi-media artist from Toronto. Always looking for ways to experiment creatively, Erika is best known for her line art used on a variety of mediums such as digital illustration, acrylic glass paintings, and engravings, often showcasing her work through a unique blend of poetry and video. Clients and media features include: Nike, NBA TV Canada, WNBA, Footlocker Canada, CBC Toronto, Indigo, and CityTV’s the Social.
As a woman of colour and the proud daughter of Filipino immigrants (who are the biggest basketball fans), Erika’s work reflects her values and passion in creative storytelling through heritage and culture, empowering youth, BIPOC, LGBTQ2s+ and marginalized communities, and the art behind athleticism and sports. She believes that art has the ability to empower people and bring out creativity in them that they might not have even known they had. It all comes down to her forever punchline:
Every single one of us is capable of creativity, because we all have stories to tell.
When she’s not freelancing or running her Etsy shop through her small business, INKSCRPT, Erika also works full-time in public policy. She is also prolific in her other passion and first love, writing - particularly poetry. You can find her poetry incorporated in her artwork.
FEATURED PROJECT: Erika was the featured illustrator for the Nike x WNBA collaboration held at Footlocker, celebrating WNBA’s First Game in Canada on May 2023.