Eryka Pieniak

Hello, I’m Eryka; a mixed-media illustrator. My main interest in my practice is communicating topics of identity through depictions of strong feelings and connection.

My identity as a mixed-race (white-passing) person has greatly affected my practice – I like creating characters who have no specific ethnicity and are often non-gender-conforming.

For this project, I chose a light-hearted topic that bears an important message; self-acceptance. Last year I struggled with my mental health so working on communicating a positive message has been very healing and I hope it can bring a little joy and reflection to others.

My narratives follow three characters; a dog, a fish girl, and a woman. They each embark on a journey that ends in self-discovery and acceptance of parts of themselves that are unique and set them apart from others.

I was able to work on 3 narratives with different mediums/styles which accurately portrays my inability to stick with one way of working. My favourite processes include; printmaking, ink drawing, and bookbinding.