Erik Waterkotte

Erik Waterkotte serves as Associate Chair and Associate Professor in the Department of Art & Art History at UNC Charlotte. He holds an MFA from the University of Alberta (2005) and a BFA from Illinois State University (2001), with additional printmaking studies at the University of Wolverhampton, UK.

His research explores the interplay of beauty and terror in the sublime, blending representation and abstraction through printmaking, mixed media, collage, and digital techniques. Key themes include popular culture, mythological narratives, and layered visual storytelling.

Waterkotte’s work has been exhibited internationally, including at the Hong Kong Graphic Arts Festival, Purdue University Galleries, and the Urban Institute of Contemporary Arts. He co-founded Theurgical Studies Press, a publishing project focusing on supernatural and occult themes. Notable collaborations include a semester-long faculty exchange with the Eugeniusz Geppert Academy of Art and Design in Wrocław, Poland, fostering transnational artistic partnerships.

Recipient of the Minnesota State Arts Board Emerging Artist Initiative Grant, Waterkotte’s practice emphasizes material experimentation and interdisciplinary approaches. His teaching spans institutions including Minnesota State University Mankato and Indiana University.