Ingrid Erns (1919–1987), painter and art teacher, was born in Riga, Latvia and studied at art school in Riga and Paris. After the Second World War, Erns came to Australia with her parents and settled in Adelaide, where she joined the Contemporary Art Society of South Australia and the Royal South Australian Society of Arts. Specialising in landscapes and portraits in oils, she exhibited in the RSASA's group exhibitions regularly as well as holding several solo exhibitions in their gallery. She was awarded the RSASA's portrait prize in 1949 and in 1969 became a member of its council. Erns completed a number of portrait commissions including those of Adelaide hotelier Louisa O’Brien and several Adelaide University academics. She travelled regularly to Europe, ran private art classes and staged yearly solo exhibitions in Adelaide from 1969 until just before her death in 1987. Her work is mainly held in private collections and in that of Adelaide University.
