Erika Warhus (b. Wisconsin, 1981) is an abstract painter working on paper with a mix of media including ink, graphite, watercolor and acrylic. Her work explores ideas of embodiment, emotional landscapes and the natural world. Her creative process is fluid, gestural and improvisational and is rooted in abstract expressionism. Subtle traces and gauzy flat layers are balanced with craggy lines, clunky marks and saturated colors. There is an intentional casualness to the work, often revealing abrupt edges or unfinished corners that suggest a continuation.

Erika is interested in making work that captures the moody transitory spaces that have a mix of emotions. She’s interested in the things we build, the sensory experience of our living world and the worlds we see in our sleep. The physical and energetic act of mark-making remains a driving force in Erika’s work – it is a liminal and active space, rich with possibility. 

Erika has been making art since she can remember. Her diverse educational background in both art and architecture are influential to her process. She earned her B.F.A. in Studio Practice from Millikin University in 2003, followed by a B.S. in Architecture from Portland State University in 2010. In 2012, she completed her M.Arch at Portland State and has spent many years thinking about the ways we inhabit spaces, both real and imagined. Erika has been living and working in Portland for over 20 years and maintains a small home studio in the Cully neighborhood.

See the work

Erika is represented by LAURA VINCENT DESIGN & GALLERY in Portland, Oregon. See available work here. To inquire about commissions please reach out directly to the gallery.