Meet Nike, Narrabeen's Resident Surf and Ocean Artist
Welcome to Nike's World of Australian Surf and Ocean Art
Nike is a German-Australian digital illustrator, genuine turtle and passionate geek, who now calls Sydney’s Northern Beaches her home. Driven by an instinctual desire to live next to the beach to surf and paint, she followed her passion with German efficiency and has now settled into her Australian life.
Nike is driven by the passion to express the depths of our ancient connection to the ocean and the beauty of existing in harmony with the water that gave birth to us. Painting, surfing and watching the waves are not just hobbies for Nike; they are the very essence of her being, the language through which she communicates with the world.
From her signature line drawings and surfing animals to aerial ocean pools and abstract, water-inspired large canvas art, Nike brings happy vibes, waves and Australian seascapes as well as native Australian landscapes and wildlife to your home.
What's with the name, anyways?
Nike is neither affliliated with the shoes, nor is she a descendant of the Greek Goddess of Victory. Her full name is Berenike, but even in her native language German that’s a mouthful! Nike is pronounced [Knee-Kay], but you’ll find her head whip around in response to all variations of the name. Try her!
Born in Berlin and raised in landlocked Europe, Nike tells stories of crying the entire car ride home from summer holidays in Southern France or Italy because she had to leave the ocean. Mind you, she was only a toddler then! Needless to say, Nike had a very strong connection to the ocean from a very youg age and always knew that somehow she would make her dream come true and end up in a country where she could walk barefoot all year round and hear the waves from her bedroom. She now lives and creates at Sydney’s Northern Beaches, where she is an integral part of the Narrabeen community.
Nike’s other passion is art. Being highly sensitive and introverted, Nike often finds herself at odds with verbally expressing her rich inner world of sunshine, happiness and peace. Art provides the much needed outlet for Nike to express those emotions and share them with the world.
Art, for Nike, is not just about creating something visually appealing; it’s about capturing the essence of life and the ocean itself – its complexities, its movements, and its boundless beauty.
What inspires Nike's Art
Nike’s biggest inspiration remains the ocean and the surf. However, since settling in Australia, native Australian wildlife and flowers have made their way into her art and are now an integral part of Nike’s style.
For the longest time, Nike fought with her black lines. Black outlines seemed to sneak into her art whether she liked it or not – a painting might start out loose and light, but end up with black lines after a couple of layers.
Over the years, Nike learned to embrace and befriend her black lines. They have now become her signature style – imitating stained glass, illustrations or even more traditional surf art, her paintings now start and end with lines and bring smiles to people’s faces and ocean vibes to their homes all over the world. Nike has illustrated books and comics and prints her art on surf gear, t-shirts and mugs so that people can carry the stoke with them out into the world.
My ultimate goal is to make people happy. If my art brings a smile to people's faces, I know I'm on the right track.
Nike Hartmann - More Than Just Surf Art
From her signature line drawings and surfing animals to aerial ocean pools and abstract, water-inspired large canvas art, Nike brings happy vibes, waves and Australian seascapes as well as native Australian landscapes and wildlife to your home.
