She worked principally with still life, genre images, landscape paintings and portraits.

She was the daughter of architect Erik Johan Wik (or Wiik) (1804–1876) and his wife Gustava Fredrika Meyer.

She was born and grew up in Brunnsparken and attended the Swedish language school Svenska fruntimmersskolan in Helsingfors.

In 1875, she continued her art studies in Paris under Tony Robert-Fleury at the Académie Julian, one of the few private schools accepting women at the time.

In spring 1889, she returned to Paris with her friend, the painter Helene Schjerfbeck to work among others with Puvis de Chavannes.