Erika Wasner is an artist whose work is deeply inspired by her connection to water. A lifelong adventurer, she has travelled extensively as a marine biologist, sailor, and wilderness guide; experiences that continue to shape her creative voice. Originally from the United States, Erika moved to Northland, New Zealand in 2016 with her young family. She began painting more seriously once her youngest child started primary school, using this new chapter to further explore her artistic passions.
Erika has been sketching and drawing her entire life, creating T-shirt designs and old-world-style maps for tallships and their crews. Today, her art focuses on recreating the movement and mood of ocean waves, river currents, and coastal landscapes. She works primarily with acrylic paint, art resin, and wood, often incorporating natural materials such as shells, sand, driftwood, and rocks.
Through her work, Erika captures the rhythms of the natural world (especially water) and invites viewers to feel both grounded and swept away by the beauty of the elements.
Erika will be exhibiting at stop 34 during KOAST 2025 - buy a KOAST Trail Guide for further details!
Click on the images below to see enlargements of some of her work.
