10 Questions with Petra Štefanková
Slovak artist Petra Štefanková studied graphic design and film and TV graphics in Bratislava, Prague and London. She is a painter, illustrator, designer and author of books and short animations. She has worked on illustration and fine art projects and has been exhibited globally. Highlights include the Global Gallery in Sydney, LACDA in Los Angeles, Kunstraum Kreuzberg/Bethanien in Berlin and the Heritage Museum in Hong Kong. She won Channel 4's 4Talent Award 2007, American Illustration 42 in New York, and she is a Life Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in London.
Petra Štefanková - Portrait
ARTIST STATEMENT
Petra Štefanková is an award-winning fine and digital artist published all around the world. Now based in Slovakia, she spent some time living in London in the United Kingdom and travelled to the USA, Australia, France or Germany to develop a professional artist presence. Her work reflects her travel and life experiences often using the automatic drawing method. This is her way of collecting experiences, memories, feelings, emotions and situations depicted in her drawings. She uses computer tools – to redraw and improve her doodles, but her work also represents traditional contemporary painting, acrylics on canvas. Her visual artwork refers to introspection rather than simple observation of reality and is often based on various multicultural influences.
INTERVIEW
What initially drew you to the world of art, and how did your journey as an artist begin?
I was initially inspired by artistic creativity by my mother, who is a visual artist – an illustrator and a painter herself. When I was a child, I was drawing on the walls of my room, on paper in the dark with my eyes closed, or into my exercise book at school during history lessons. Since I was five years old, I had been sure I wanted to devote myself to visual arts. Later, I had to develop a professional approach when I started attending a high school that specialized in applied arts in Bratislava.
You have studied and worked in different cities, including Bratislava, Prague, London, and beyond. How have these diverse environments influenced your artistic approach?
I studied graphic design and visual communication at AFAD in Bratislava, film and television graphics at UMPRUM in Prague and computer animation at UAL in London. I was very excited to explore the world after my graduation in 2003, so in 2006, I moved to Dover and later to London in the United Kingdom. I was originally influenced by the local Slovak and later Czech illustration, animation and fine art culture, but I gained more multicultural experiences in the UK. I also travelled to the USA, Australia, and Western Europe, where I participated in many exhibitions, conference lectures, festival presentations, etc. It gave me a broad overview of the contemporary scene, and I could apply my skills to different types of projects, from illustration to animation and fine art.
Naturelogy, acrylics on canvas, 180x150 cm, 2024 © Petra Štefanková
Your work blends digital and traditional techniques. How do you balance these two mediums in your creative process?
I have been a digital illustrator and graphic designer for a long time. In 2015, I started experimenting more with traditional media, such as acrylics on paper, wood, or canvas. It was basically during a time spent in a small Slovak village in the Záhorie area. I had a lot of time for reflection, meditation and introspection. The reason for switching to traditional media was also the business perspective. Digital prints no longer played a major role in my sales, so I was looking into the original hand-made pieces, which I could offer to my collectors. At the moment, I juggle these two approaches on a project basis, whether I plan a solo show at a gallery or if there is a book that I would like to get published, and so on.
You often use automatic drawing as a way to capture experiences and emotions. Can you walk us through how this method shapes your final pieces?
Automatic drawing is a method I have been using for years. They were purely sketches and doodles at first. Later, I started creating 3D computer graphics from them, so they got more sophisticated aesthetics, and I was selling digital prints or applying them as illustrations for magazines. In recent years, I returned to the original small and large format automatic drawings on paper. I also incorporate drawing as a decorative and authorial imprint into my acrylic paintings.
Many artists face creative blocks. Do you have any rituals or techniques to keep your creativity flowing?
I am a professional artist, so I can respond to briefs and self-initiated projects fluently and flexibly. My main technique is just to start drawing whatever I have on my mind or do research on the internet, compiling relevant words together.Something always comes out of it.
Transformers Flowers I, acrylics on canvas, 100×80 cm, 2024 © Petra Štefanková
Transformers Flowers II, acrylics on canvas, 100×80 cm, 2024 © Petra Štefanková
Having exhibited globally, from Los Angeles to Hong Kong, do you find that audiences in different parts of the world respond to your work differently?
Well, I received a lot of positive feedback from different parts of the world. I think every person sees something different in my drawings and paintings, and they even suggest visual influences according to their experiences and visual memories.
Your art often reflects multicultural influences. Are there particular cultures or artistic traditions that have had a significant impact on your style?
The flat aesthetics of my paintings are close to the American Pop Art movement, I was also inspired by Spanish Cubism and French Surrealism and the technique of using acrylic markers is largely adopted by Street Artists. My themes and subjects of the paintings are feminine and reflect a single woman's views on her personal life and travels, therefore, there is certainly a bit of a Feminist approach in my work.
You've been recognized with prestigious awards such as the 4Talent Award and American Illustration 42. How have these achievements shaped your career?
I was approached by international media and press, and they interviewed me widely when I won these competitions. I was covered by Forbes Slovensko, The New York City Daily Post, The Flux Review Magazine, Art Market Magazine and others. Channel 4 television in the UK also had a nice article on their website and printed magazine when I won their 4Talent competition in 2007. I spoke once on a live radio show in New Zealand, and there was a lot of television coverage in reportages and documentaries nationwide in Slovakia.
Waterlogy, acrylics on canvas, 180x150 cm, 2024 © Petra Štefanková
As a Life Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, how do you see your role in the broader creative community?
Between 2002 and 2008, I ran a successful online community for artists, designers, illustrators and other creatives, which was long before social media. We held art competitions, I wrote global art news for the platform, etc. I also nominated several great creative people and, more importantly, experts from Slovakia to the Fellowship of the RSA in London.
What are you currently working on, and is there a particular project or direction you're excited to explore next?
Most recently, I have self-published a children's picture book called Rocks and Rock & Roll. So, a small print run has just come out from the printers, and I am so happy about it. I have an upcoming group exhibition in Las Vegas and possibly in some other places. I am also working on an animated film project about space and ecology, and it will take some time to produce it.
Artist’s Talk
Al-Tiba9 Interviews is a promotional platform for artists to articulate their vision and engage them with our diverse readership through a published art dialogue. The artists are interviewed by Mohamed Benhadj, the founder & curator of Al-Tiba9, to highlight their artistic careers and introduce them to the international contemporary art scene across our vast network of museums, galleries, art professionals, art dealers, collectors, and art lovers across the globe.
