"From the bottom" (2010) Pintura por Miroslava Maixnerova

I was born in Brno, in a city district called "Old Brno" – because this neighbourhood is the city’s very oldest. We lived in a building that had two apartments, with a garden and a front yard. When I was born, I was very small. Deep into the night I used to scream like crazy and that’s why the people closest to me (my family) nicknamed me "the Singer". My family were my mom, dad, brother, grandmother and grandfather. We always kept some animals too. I had a mania for dogs and so I was given one. 

At home we had piles of wooden blocks, which my brother and I used to play with under the kitchen table. At the very top of our house was an abandoned studio – my uncle’s studio – that remained exactly the same as my uncle – who was an artist – had left it when he decided to emigrate to the United States with his family. And up there were things that he used to make – big leather armchairs, wooden and stone statues, paintings, kinetic art, prototypes of various kinds – probably inventions – and a large head of a Black female made of metal with metallic fuzz on top, which gave me the creeps. And also a giant wax cylinder used for waxing twine, wires, tools and a drawing board. I used to disappear there with my brother – sometimes secretly and sometimes not – tiptoeing around very quietly when we were there secretly. Grandma’s and Grandpa’s apartment was right under the studio and should they hear us, we would be in big trouble. The studio had a terrace situated directly under the roof and leading up to it was a ladder, which we were not allowed to climb. But we simply loved sitting on the ridge of the roof - the views of the river and the surrounding houses were gorgeous. I used to look down at the tiny people and narrow my eyes against the sun, because then those beautifully coloured rings started to emerge behind my eyelids.

I really disliked going to kindergarten and school. Lunch was probably the best part – except for the meat, which was always full of veins. They claim it’s better nowadays. I started drawing even before kindergarten, where I was later selected to attend a Basic Arts School with artistic orientation. There I drew whatever was on the agenda of the day – spring, school trips, Christmas. At home, however, I drew mainly people – mostly parents with children and faces with different expressions. Those faces then became my friends and I cherished them, even if they looked angry.  

During my teens I continued my lessons at the Arts School with painter Květa Štreitová. She was so down-to-earth, always trying to support her students. On one occasion we were painting a model and she very much liked my expressive style. And from then on she supported me even more. And so, for the first time, I was painting "my style" and I was quite nervous about adding still more and more shades. I couldn't control myself. And even today, when I start painting, I tend to try and control myself. But luckily I fail to do so. 

• Nacionalidade: TCHÉQUIA
• Data de nascimento : 1982
• Domínios artísticos: Obras de artistas profissionais,
• Grupos: Artista profissional Artistas Checos Contemporâneos