ILLUSTRATING THE FUTURE OF WOMEN’S SPORTS. MEET ERIKA FLORES!

We are thrilled to announce the next feature in our ongoing blog series, Breaking Barriers: Women Who Lead. Throughout 2025, we will highlight various women leaders who advocate for gender equity, believe in the power of sport, and continue to support and amplify the need to get more girls in sport and physical activity. They are women who broke down barriers (and continue to do so), are leaders in their fields, and who hope to leave an impact on their sectors. We’re so excited for our series to continue by chatting with Erika Flores, a self-taught Toronto-based illustrator and multi-media artist whose work has become synonymous with celebrating women in sport. Through her creative platform, INKSCRPT, she has brought sports moments to life on canvases, murals, and merchandise. Each piece is an intentional act on storytelling, representation, and empowerment.

Erika’s love for art started early. “I remember going through old sketchbooks at my parents’ place and looking at drawings from when I was as young as eight,” she recalls. One of those sketches, drawn at age 12, shows her standing on a stack of books with a paintbrush in hand and a basketball by her feet. “I think that sketch is a prime example of how I have always seen sports and art as intertwined. It feels like a full circle moment since now I illustrate women in sport as a huge part of my career- wild to even say that out loud.”

INKSCRPT began in 2018 when a friend asked her to do calligraphy for her wedding. That single project led to an art account, commissions, and now a freelancing business. “I was shocked to learn that people actually wanted to pay me for the artwork I was creating,” she says. But it was in 2019, during the Toronto Raptors’ historic NBA championship run, when her sports illustrations began resonating widely. After sketching Kawhi Leonard’s infamous buzzer-beater shot, she was flooded with requests to print it on t-shirts. “I ordered and sold 30 shirts to break even. That moment and illustration was probably what fuelled my passion for sports and illustration.”

Without art, so much of sport would lose its ability to inspire and tell stories.”

Her career since has been a testament to the power of representation. From her illustrations for Nike and the WNBA at Canada’s first WNBA game, to the AFC Toronto jersey design, to murals at community courts, her work has continually centered diverse stories. “It’s extremely humbling to have people thank me for adding a hijabi on the Nike x WNBA designs, or to see the excitement of young girls at Oakdale Community Centre seeing their court has transformed into a more supportive, beautiful space,” she shares. “It’s a reminder of how honoured I am to have worked in such trailblazing projects that help people see themselves in my artwork.”

For her, art and sport have always been intertwined. “Without art, so much of sport would lose its ability to inspire and tell stories,” she says. She points to jerseys, logos, and even the signs fans hold up in arenas as proof that creativity fuels culture and memory in sport. “Art cements sports moments into historical pieces that last lifetimes.”

It’s extremely humbling to have people thank me for adding a hijabi on the Nike x WNBA designs, or to see the excitement of young girls at Oakdale Community Centre seeing their court has transformed into a more supportive, beautiful space.”

That belief shapes how she approaches each project. “I try my best to be intentional in my work: celebrating diverse identities, sharing stories of underrepresented communities; or highlighting impactful moments in sports history. To me, my artwork isn’t just about aesthetics. It’s about sparking conversation, creating representation, and contributing to the growing momentum of women’s sports in Canada and abroad.”

Her journey has also been about balance. Alongside her art career, she works full-time as a senior policy analyst with the Ontario government. “They’re obviously very different from each other. Policy requires more rigidity, while art demands creativity. I’ve learned so many skills that have positively shaped by experience in either career.” In the last five years, she’s streamlined her art career, learned to be selective about the projects she takes on, and has found joy in the projects that bring both artistic fulfillment and community impact.

I try my best to be intentional in my work: celebrating diverse identities, sharing stories of underrepresented communities; or highlighting impactful moments in sports history. To me, my artwork isn’t just about aesthetics. It’s about sparking conversation, creating representation, and contributing to the growing momentum of women’s sports in Canada and abroad.”

Some of her favourite personal works have been her para-athletics illustrations and Hijabi Ballers piece, both of which challenged her to think deeply about inclusivity and how to represent athletes authentically. “Art is a powerful way to question and reframe the narratives we’ve been told about sports: whether it be language, mindsets, or identities,” she reflects.

Looking ahead, she sees her role not just as an artist but as a cultural storyteller. Each piece of art contributes to a growing legacy of women’s sports in Canada and beyond. “I know firsthand how powerful sports can be in building confidence, leadership, and identity in young girls and women.”

Her advice for other artists and changemakers? Lead with intention and care. Ask yourself, “What narrative am I enforcing? What narrative do I want to help challenge and rewrite?” She points to doing the research and being actively involved and connected in the communities you are thinking of serving and representing.

Through her art, she’s proving what she’s believed all along, that sport and creativity are not separate worlds, but deeply connected ones. Together, they have the power to inspire, to build community, and to ensure that the stories of women and underrepresented groups in sport are seen, remembered, and celebrated for generations to come.

Our Breaking Barriers: Women Who Lead blog series highlights women in leadership positions who are passionate about empowering girls through sport, physical activity and education. Launched in January 2025, the series will highlight various women throughout 2025. If you are interested in learning more or supporting this series, please email us at info@girlsforward.ca