Erin Svitko, or ESTKO, is a multidisciplinary artist living in Charlotte, North Carolina, and
is originally from Maryland. She was lucky to witness the explosion of graffiti and street
art when she lived close to DC, Philadelphia and Baltimore. In the late 90’s, she was
inspired by Street Art and Lowbrow Art movements and then developed her creative
style. In 2013 she started drawing and painting geometric abstractions, and then added
botanical elements and body parts. The common thread in all her work is the heavy use
of lines, patterns and often symmetry. A long-time goal of hers was to build enough
confidence and skill to create public art and murals. Line art is also ESTKO’s way of
celebrating women and advocating for their rights and health. She wants her art to help
end stigmas, stereotypes and encourage others to do the same.

ESTKO’s imagery shows the similarities between women’s bodies with plants, insects
and other animals, and the art styled with heavy line work and an obvious street art
influence. She has a bachelor’s degree for Graphic Design from the Art Institute of
Philadelphia, and spent most of her college experience documenting the street art of
Center City Philly. In the years since college ESTKO has experimented with different
mediums such as pattern making, digital collage, public art, murals, etc. Her primary
focus in 2024 is exploring woodworking and large scale paintings while working from
her studio in the McColl Center, a contemporary art space and creative hub in Charlotte,
North Carolina.