Petra Stefankova

Title: Fruitful Thinking


Fruitful Thinking is part of a larger series of illustrations blending traditional and digital techniques. I use pencil drawing on paper and then color the artwork digitally using graphic applications on my tablet. Fruitful Thinking has hidden meanings and symbols, and I also play with intuitive, automatic drawing to build these scenes. Artwork can also be defined as a representation of human intellectual capacity, which brings many interesting ideas to the table. The style has its roots in my old works on paper that I have produced since 2000 or so. I tested various visualisations using computer graphics in my practice, however, I returned to the traditional pencil rendering of these drawings while incorporating the three-dimensional elements. I believe that in the contemporary scene where digital art competes with AI-generated images, the authenticity of the human hand drawing plays a significant role.

Location:  Bratislava, Slovakia

Creative Experience 

I have been devoted to visual arts since an early age, and when I was about 5 years old, I believed in becoming the visual artist that I am today. It took a long journey to find a professional approach to my artwork by practising during the early days at the elementary school, then art based secondary school and finally during my studies at the art academies in various cities. I am versatile and experiment with different techniques and mediums. I enjoy writing and illustrating books and short animated films. From time to time, I also draw on objects and fashion accessories.

Biography and links

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 and American Illustration 42 in New York.