1. Who are you?
My name is Petra von Kazinyan, and I was born on March 2nd, 1976 in Gelnhausen, Germany. After finishing my studies at the Goethe-University in Frankfurt/M., I moved to Vienna where I’ve been living and working since then.

In the recent past, I participated in various exhibitions in Austria and abroad; in 2009, I was nominated for the “item-art prize for painting” in Ulm, Germany, I took part in group exhibitions in Frankfurt/M. and St. Christoph, Austria, and in the near future, some of my works will be shown in the course of the “14. Art Auction” in Berlin under the patronage of film director Fatih Akin as well as at the 7th “Biennial of Contemporary Art” in Florence.
Additionally, I held a number of shows in Vienna, the current one, titled “Hunting now”, at Gallery Steiner.

2. What do you like about what you do?
In my paintings, I aim to display our present life, the daily life with its sometimes very special moments. Facing our fast-moving society, I think it’s necessary to conserve our current visual impressions, that’s just what painters have always done, and I enjoy depicting today’s lifestyle the way I see it.

3. What don’t you like about what you do?
Being a freelance artist is always connected with pressure – financially and artistically. Sometimes it’s pretty annoying, especially if it’s only a self-made problem caused by one’s own perfectionism, on the other hand, being under strain can be really necessary for creating good and interesting works. So it’s quite an ambiguous thing, you hate it, but you need it, too.

4. Please tell us about your paintings and your aims?
Being inspired by the permanently changing urban lifestyle, I trace the ambivalent mixture of cultural tendencies and individual concepts of today’s people in my realistic paintings. Modern human beings are viewed against their social background, always ‘living under the lens’; and in the obtrusive, revealing style of close-ups and snapshots, complex situations are reduced to an exemplary detail or a fleeting moment while the circumstances remain untold.

5. Are you working with blogs and if yes, which ones and why?
No, I’m not working with blogs.

6. Is there a gallery where you can find your paintings?
From 18.8.-14.9.2009, Gallery Steiner (Kurrentgasse 4, 1010 Vienna, open Mo-Fr 11-20h, Sa 12-17h, Sun closed) shows my current solo exhibition titled “Hunting now” – at the same time, selected photographs by Stavros von Kazinyan can be seen there.

7. Which painting do you admire the most and why?
I admire Gottfried Helnwein’s work, and I guess “Mouse I” is my favourite – disturbing, overwhelming, just amazing.

8. Any comments you want to share with us?
In 2008, I really enjoyed working together with “The Ring Hotel“, Vienna – apart from two exhibition cooperations, I painted a commissioned work for the bar “Drings” which was a great and challenging task because the product had to meet various requirements: it should thematically and visually reflect the bar’s focus on extraordinary vodka brands and cocktails, and additionally, a neutral colouring was needed because it should not disturb the great effect of the ‘mathematics art’ installations by artist Markus Mooslechner, especially the spectacular “Drings”-eyecatcher, the wide bar front. At least, I created a photorealistic work with soft restrained colours, corresponding to the unique and very special atmosphere of the cosmopolitan, stylish, and highly fashionable “Drings”-bar.