Mgr. art. Petra Štefanková, FRSA
A professional visual artist, illustrator, graphic designer and author.
Winner of Channel 4’s 4Talent Award 2007 and American Illustration 42 in New York.
Life Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in London.
Vanity Fair UK A-list Artist 2022.
The TOP 100 Slovak Artist at Artfacts.net in 2025.
Experience
Petra Štefanková studied graphic design and film and TV graphics in Bratislava and Prague, additionally, she took a short course at Central Saint Martin’s (UAL) in London. She has worked on advertising, editorial, animation and publishing projects for the University of Udine in Italy, Lynda.com, Microsoft Games Studios, Orange, The Guardian, The Economist, Popular Mechanics, Dialogue Review and Future Music. She collaborated with VooDooDog Animation in London on the animated title sequence for the Hollywood film Nanny McPhee 2, which was awarded the Silver World Medal at the New York Festival, (World’s Best TV and Film Awards), 2011. See Petra’s Filmography on IMDb.
She is an author, designer and illustrator of children’s books Moje Malé More, self-published in 2016 and Čmáranica a Machuľa, published by Slovart and awarded the Best Children’s Book of Spring 2018 by Bibiana and IBBY.
Exhibitions
Her work has been exhibited in the USA (solo show in Washington D.C.), the UK, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Poland, Germany (solo show in Berlin), China, Czech Republic (solo show in Prague) and Slovakia (solo shows in Bratislava, Malacky and Nitra). In August 2007 she won Channel 4’s 4Talent award and in April 2008 she was invited to join the Fellowship of the Royal Society of Arts in London. She presented her work during the Roadshow at the ICON Illustration conference in New York, Pasadena L.A. and Providence, Rhode Island as well as SIGGRAPH GRAPHITE conference in Western Australia. She exhibited her work in group exhibitions at major galleries and museums worldwide including The Saatchi Gallery in London, Global Gallery in Sydney, LACDA in L.A. and Heritage Museum in Hong Kong. A partial list of verified exhibitions is available at Artfacts.net
Publications
Her work has been published in Luerzer’s Archive 200 Best Illustrators Worldwide 07/08 (2008, Austria); Visual Artist at Work by Michael Fleishman, Cengage (2009, USA); Vector Graphics and Illustration, A master class in digital image-making by Steven Withrow and Jack Harris, Rotovision (2008, UK); EXPOSÉ 6: The Finest Digital Art in the Known Universe, Ballistic Publishing (2008, Australia); Images 33: The Best Of British Illustration, The AOI (2009, UK); Images 31: The Best Of British Illustration, The AOI (2007, UK); Planet Alert, Revista Colectiva (2009, Kostarika); A DGPH Project: The Ark, IdN / Systems Design, (2009, Hong Kong); ILLO 2017, 3×3 Directory (2017, USA); ILLO 2018, 3×3 Directory (2018, USA); Drawn Vol.1 The Best Illustrators Worldwide (2017, Australia), Bezier Vol.1 The Best Vector Artists Worldwide (2017, Australia) and many other books.
Awards and acknowledgements
Gold List Award 2024, Art Market Magazine, Israel | American Illustration 42 Chosen Winner 2023, New York City, USA | Honorable Mention, Eastern European Film Festival 2022, Romania | Honorable Mention, Kino Ottawa Film Festival 2022, Canada | Artfacts Performance Award 2021, Germany | Artist of the Future Award 2020, Contemporary Art Curator Magazine, United Kingdom | The Minister of Culture of the Slovak Republic Award 2019, Bratislava | Artfacts Performance Award 2019, Germany |The Best Children’s Book of Spring 2018, Bibiana & IBBY, Bratislava | Creative Quarterly 42, New York, Runner up | Runner up, Creative Quarterly 16, New York City | Selected, Images 33: The Best of British Illustration 2009 | Elected Fellow of Royal Society of Arts in London | Expose 6 Master Award Winner, Australia | Channel 4 4Talent Award 2007 | Selected, Luerzer’s Archive 200 Best Illustrators Worldwide 2007/08 | Selected, Images 31: The Best of British Illustration | Special Mention, Festival Internacional de la Imagen, Universidad de Caldas, Colombia | CG Choice Award 2006, Computer Graphics Society | 1st Rank Animago 2006, Germany | 3rd Prize, Muestra Internacional de Arte Digital 2006, Santa Fe, Argentina | Excellence Award, Toray Digital Creation Awards 2004, Japan | Hirosaki Award, given by Hirosaki City mayor, DIDO Awards, Japan | 5th Prize, Tokoha CG Art Exhibition 2003, Japan | 1st Rank, Animago 2003, Germany | Honorary Mention, Toray Digital Creation Awards 2002, Japan
During the state visit of HM Queen Elizabeth II in Slovakia in October 2008, Petra Štefanková’s name was mentioned in the official speech by the President of the Slovak Republic, Ivan Gašparovič. The full text of the speech was archived and you can view it here.
Events
Petra Štefanková personally attends many high profile international events:
Private art event dedicated to Michelangelo legacy attended by Italian cultural representatives at the Brancaccio Palace in Rome in 2019
UK Alumni Association event at the British ambassador residency in Bratislava in 2018 attended by Dr Monika Gullerova
ICON The Illustration Conference in Rhode Island in 2012 attended by Charles Hively of 3×3 Magazine and Jaleen Grove, co-author of History of Illustration book as well as the founders of Lynda.com Lynda Weinman and Bruce Heavin
The RSA President’s Lecture introduced by HRH Princess Anne of Edinburgh at the RSA House in London in 2012
The President of Slovak Republic reception attended by The President of SR at Slovak Olympic House in London in 2012
5th Women’s Social Leadership Awards at the RSA House in London in 2011 attended by Professor Rachel Armstrong
ICON The Illustration Conference at Langham Hotel in Pasadena, Los Angeles, California in 2010
Private view of the exhibition Bruegel to Rubens at the Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace in 2009
A number of Slovak Embassy in London events in 2009
ICON The Illustration Conference at Roosevelt Hotel off Madison Avenue in Manhattan New York in 2008
Generation Next event at Channel 4 towers in London attended by film and TV musicians Verbal Vigilante in 2008
Jonas Mekas film screening in London in 2008 attended by Jonas Mekas himself and his then gallerist Harry Stendhal from New York
Activities
Her creative, promotional activities and selected presentations include:
Her creative drawing workshop for kids at Komárno Library was part of 7 Days of Genius Festival 2018 organised by 92Y in New York
Her solo show at Slovak House in Prague was opened by the Vice President of Europeans Throughout the World in Brussels Vladimír Skalský in 2017
Her solo show at Malá Scéna Theatre in Bratislava in 2016 was attended by Mrs Zdenka Kukanová, wife of a member of European parliament and Viliam Roth of the Presidential office
BOND4 Magazine Launch Event at the Saatchi Gallery in London in 2011
TEDx Bratislava at Slovak National Theatre in 2013, where she also delivered a talk on stage in front of about 600 people. Prof. Ulrich Weinberg from School of Design Thinking in Potsdam, Germany was one of the speakers.
Clerkenwell Design Week in London in 2011 attended by the British illustrator Lizzie Mary Cullen
Futurising at London College of Communication in 2010, where she accepted a role of a creative advisor
Les e-magiciens Animation Festival organised by the school SUPINFOCOM in Valenciennes, France in 2008, where she gave a presentation about Slovakian digital animation scene
Petra Štefanková delivered a number of lectures at the University of Western Australia in Perth, Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava, Paneuropean University in Bratislava, DOX Centre for Contemporary Art in Prague, Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design (UMPRUM) in Prague, University of St. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava and participated with a video talk in DesignMai Berlin and Mixer, Multimedia Festival of the University of Tomas Bata in Zlin.
Articles and interviews
Interview for Al-tiba9, March 2025, Spain
Article for Art Market Magazine, October 2024, Israel
Interview for Forbes Slovensko, October 2024, Slovakia
Article for Plus 7 Dní, August 2024, Slovakia
Article for The NYC Daily Post, July 2024, USA
Interview for Literatur Outdoors, March 2024, Austria
Interview for Finančné Noviny, July 2023, Slovakia
Talkshow Nočná Pyramída, Slovak Radio, May 2023, Slovakia
Interview for Pravda TV, February 2023, Slovakia
Interview for Fun Radio, October 2022, Slovakia
Interview for Bruxelles Art Vue, October 2021, Belgium
Interview for Contemporary Art Curator Magazine, September 2021, United Kingdom
TV Reportage for Umenie na TA3, September 2021, Slovakia
Radio interview for RTVS Devín, August 2021, Slovakia
Interview for Moja kultúra, July 2021, Slovakia
Live TV show interview ‘Damsky klub’ for RTVS, April 2021, Slovakia
Reportage for Správy RTVS, March 2021, Slovakia
Interview for Bratislavske noviny, March 2021, Slovakia
Article for Bratislavske noviny, November 2021, Slovakia
Reportage for Slovensko v obrazoch, RTVS, March 2020, Slovakia
Interview for Goodwill, March 2020, Slovakia
Fine Arts are Helping at St Elizabeth Oncology Institute for the RSA, July 2019, United Kingdom
Interview for Hospodarske noviny, June 2018, Slovakia
Interview for Let’s be brief, October 2018, United Kingdom
Visual communication and global issues for the RSA, February 2019, United Kingdom
Collaborative drawing in Slovakia for the RSA, March 2018, United Kingdom
Interview for Goodwill, January 2019, Slovakia
Documentary TV film for TV 213, October 2016, Slovakia
Interview for SME, January 2008, Slovakia
Interview for TV OKO, February 2009, Slovakia
Interview for RedBull, December 2018, Czech Republic
Article about the book Moje malé more for TASR, December 2016, Slovakia
Article about solo show Illustrated Dialogue for Constantine The Philosopher University, November 2016, Slovakia
Interview for SME, June 2008, Slovakia
Article on Altpick.com, February 2016, USA
Work for the Guardian in the AOI interview with Sarah Habershon, September 2018, United Kingdom
Toast by the President of the Slovak Republic Ivan Gašparovič (EN), October 2008, Slovakia
Article about exhibition Film Parallels in Prague, September 2017, Czech Republic
Interview for Piestany library, June 2017, Slovakia
Radio interview about the Football World Cup for RNZ, June 2010, New Zealand
TV Documentaries, Reportages and Live shows: Petra Štefanková’s profile was filmed in London in 2009 for a television documentary ‘Slováci vo svete’ (Slovaks abroad) directed by Braňo Mišík for RTVS (National Slovak Radio & Television). TV 213 filmed her first solo documentary in the series ‘Portrét umelca’ (Portrait of the artist) of 26 minutes length about her life and work in 2016. It was directed by Anton Faraonov and it is available online in the Slovak language. A short reportage was filmed for programme ‘Slovensko v obrazoch’ (Slovakia in pictures) for RTVS 1 in 2020 and in 2021 another reportage appeared as part of the evening news Správy RTVS as well as the programme ‘Umenie na TA3’. Petra Štefanková was presented also in a live show ‘Dámsky klub’ in an interview with the host Iveta Malachovská for RTVS 1 in 2021 and in a live show ‘Teleráno’ on Markíza TV in an interview with the host Kveta Horváthová in May 2022.
Selected publications list
- Vanity Fair UK, Hollywood issue, UK 2022
- Dialogue Review magazine, LID Publishing LTD, UK 2015
- FORM, FOR MEN magazine supplement, Versamedia, SR, 2016
- James G. Ballard, L’allegra compagnia del sogno, Fanucci Editore, Italy 2007
- University of Udine brochure, TransForma la Tua Vita, Italy
- Memories book, DAHRA, UK 2011
- Vector Graphics and Illustration, Jack Harris and Steven Withrow, Rotovision, UK 2008
- Popular Mechanics magazine, Hearst, USA 2010
- X Funs No. 50, Johnson Publication Co. Ltd, Taiwan 2010
- PetPeople magazine, Issue 3, Allianz Insurance plc, UK 2008
- Caterer and hotelkeeper magazine, 6-12 April 2006, Reed Business Information, UK
- Book of creation, Digital Artist Hors-serie n. 7, France 2012
- Creative Review Handbook 2011, Centaur Media plc, UK
- Alicja i przyjaciele, catalogue, Poland, Muzeum Regionalne w Stalowej Woli, 2017
- Drawing Inspiration, Visual Artist at Work, Michael Fleishman, Delmar Cengage Learning, 2011, USA
- TEN4 magazine, Channel 4, 2007, UK
- The Economist, March 8-14th 2008, UK
- Popular Mechanics magazine, March 2012, Hearst, USA
- Future Music magazine, Future Network, 2006, USA
- Bar magazine 1/2013, Bar magazine, SR
- Aesthetica magazine, May/June/July Issue 17, Aesthetica, 2007, UK
- 4Talent magazine, Channel 4, UK 2008
- ILLO 2017 book, Artisanal Media, 2017, USA
- CUT OUT magazine, Vol. 1, Issue 1, The Kraft Store, Malaysia, 2010
- 200 Best Illustrators Worldwide 2007/8, Luerzer’s Archive, 2007, Germany
- Forbo, Art on floors, catalogue, Clerkenwell Design Week, UK, 2011
- Adam Šangala, brochure, DAB Nitra, SR, 2003
- Computer Arts 146, March 2008, Future Network, UK
- Computer Arts 144 magazine, January 2008, Future Network, UK
- Computer Arts 195 magazine, December 2011, Future Network, UK
- Computer Arts 107 magazine, March 2005, Future Network UK
- Forbes magazine, September 2013, Business Consulting and Media, SR
- Slovenka magazine, 3/2009, Star Production, SR
- MIAU magazine, Summer 2008, Mediage, SR
- Prague Design Week 2016 catalogue, DesignCorporation, ČR
- Drawn Vol. 1 book, Crookspress, Australia, 2017
- Bezier Vol. 1 book, Crookspress, Australia, 2017
- Images 33, The Best of British Illustration, 2009, AOI, UK
- 3rd International Symposium of Interactive Media Design, January 2005, Yeditepe University, Turkey
- Images 31, AOI, 2007, UK
- Between The Volga and The Danube, catalogue, Moscow, Russia, 2015
- Hong Kong International Poster Triennial 2004, catalogue, Hong Kong Heritage Museum, HK
- The Art Book, The John Pidgeon Consultancy, 2007, UK
- Expose 6, Ballistic Publishing, Australia, 2008
- Graphite 2007, ACM SIGGRAPH, 2007, USA
- Slovak-Czech Women’s Fund, Annual report 2005, SR
- Slovak-Czech Women’s Fund, Annual report 2006, SR
- A DGPH Project: The Ark, IdN / Systems Design, Hong Kong, 2009
- 26th Biennial of illustrations Bratislava, catalogue, BIB 2017, Bibiana, SR
- EUROPE ABC, Droomwevers, Stichting Culturele Droomwevers, Netherlands, 2013
- ILLO 2018, 3×3 Directory, New York, 2018
- The Guardian G2, Issue 20 June 2018, UK
- Visual Arts: A Resource for Units 1A-1B by Lynda Kuntyj, Impact Publishing, Australia 2009
- Planet Alert, Revista Colectiva, Costa Rica 2009
- BOND, Issue 1, Spring 2010, BOND magazine Ltd, UK
- BOND, Issue 2, Autumn 2010, Bond magazine Ltd, UK
- BOND, Issue 3, Bond magazine Ltd, UK 2011
- Artbox Magazine, Issue 12, Jan-Feb 2011, James Knight Media, UK
- HR Magazine, Mark Allen Group, UK May 2016
- Bumed, Bogazici University magazine, April 2017, No. 226, Turkey
- The 44th Golden Pen of Belgrade, The 9th International Biennial of Illustration catalogue, Progres Gallery, Serbia
- Czechoslovakia – Behind the Iron Curtain, Global Slovakia, SR, 2019
- Premio Internazionale Michelangelo, catalogue Art Now Media, Palermom, July 2019
- Art International Contemporary magazine, Issue 4, July/August 2019, Rome
- The Art of Hate, book, Centrala, London, UK, 2019
- Bienále Forma 2019 catalogue, Umelka, SVÚ, Bratislava, 2019
- Anorak magazine issue 53, London, UK, 2020
- Current Masters 5, book, WWAB.US, Santa Barbara, California, Nov 2020
- Coronart, book, Ludvig Rage, Berlin, 2021
- Bruxelles Art Vue, Human Body is Art, book, Belgium, 2021
- Bruxelles Art Vue, Limitless Nature, book, Belgium, 2021
- Bruxelles Art Vue, Volumes of Darkness, book, Belgium, 2021
- Neberte mi sny / Don’t take my dreams from me, book, Petra Štefanková, SR, 2020
- Čmáranica a Machuľa, Slovart, 2018, SR
- My už vieme všeličo, Slovart, SR 2017
- Moje malé more, book, Petra Štefanková, 2016, SR