About Me

I grew up in rural Austria. I remember that I was drawing and painting from my early childhood on and that my parents were always providing all kinds of art materials to experiment with. I focused more seriously on painting at the age of 15. Taking art classes and doing life drawing and painting for the first time was an amazing experience. This was the moment when I decided to become a painter.

After receiving a masters degree in painting from the Academy of Fine Art in Vienna in 1997, I moved to the beautiful countryside of Siena, Italy, where I am still living with my husband, our two dogs and four cats.

My lifestyle and close relationship with the natural world plays a very inspirational role in my work, with a particular focus on the coexistence and affinity between humans and animals. I draw inspiration and creative energy mainly from these relationships and the associated emotions.

The titles of recent series BORN FROM STARS and MADE FROM DUST refer to our origins: the cosmic theory that all matter is stardust, and the biblical notion of humans and animals being formed from dust  – emphasizing my conviction that humans and animals are interconnected, both materially and metaphysically. My process is intuitive, often working with a fusion of drawing and painting. With the intentional willingness to surrender control, the imagery emerges through many layers and unexpected discovery. The resulting paintings are often perceived as holding a mysterious atmosphere, described as ‘haunting’ by viewers. I didn’t initially see these reactions as affirming, but now I recognize them as something positive and authentic to my work.