Are there any particular artists or artistic movements that consistently inspire your creative direction? I’m inspired by design, nature and techniques mainly I think. I’ve been a keen learner of crafts, like printmaking and wax batik, whittling, making candles, any technique really. I like the randomness of trying and testing new methods and to see how my handwriting translate in a new way. I’m drawn to clear, ’contrasty’ images and often turn to black-and-white photographs or draw from life where the object is ‘free from interpretation’.
Is there a book or author that has had a significant impact on your thinking or artistic vision? I return to my vintage books that I started collecting in my teens. Photography, botanical diagrams, books on trees, gardening, sea scapes, animals and other creatures, all sorts of patterns. I like Escher too or books on ceramics (I found many on the street), portraits, toys, historical books or Egyptian art. It’s just a great mix of matters and imagery I often return to or carry in mind.
Do any specific songs or musicians set the tone for your work or influence your process while you create? Listening to music is key to get into my focused space, like a padding of energy, placing my mind in the moment. I like to draw to tempo of tune, to be transported by lyrics, often looping songs I obsess about as I loop my drawings.
Are there any brands or designers whose aesthetics resonate with you and inspire your artistic style? I grew up in a home where design came second in a way, where most objects were inherited, often hand-made and so there was a random mix of eras and styles. But Marimekko certainly comes to mind, made a big impact on all of us, especially in Scandinavian homes. Set against the backdrop of heavy, wooden antiques; the bright, boldness of their patterns blossomed and drew me in. I like contrast of time and materials, where the story behind object become more central than form.
What role does travel and experiencing different cultures play in shaping your artistic ideas? I don’t travel very much apart from to see friends and family, taking my work with me wherever I go. I like drawing what I see, but typically I draw from my mind. I often draw on the tube or in transit, somehow this feels very relaxing.
Do the works of artists from different disciplines - like dance, theatre, or poetry - influence your art? Yes, I like to experience creative solutions, light, costumes, an immersive experience like watching a film in the cinema is magical, inspiring. I used to work at cinemas for many years during my studies and spent much of my time watching film. I love the components of sound and vision, construction of clothes, printmaking and setting a scene. Often thinking of work as sequenced artwork, stories I work with repetition. I like to loop my artwork into short animations (petrashorts).
Do you have a favourite era of art or culture that you often revisit for inspiration, and why? The 70’s I’d think, bridging the old and new. The mending, recycling and obsessions with craft, sitting hand-in-hand with new technologies, the throw away, plastics, wastefully experimental approaches full of possibilities. Having less, but feeling that you have more, celebrating the outdoors even when it was pretty cold, wet and often quite unpleasant.
How does your personal relationship with nature, cityscapes, or the environment reflect in your work? Thinking of plants, the feeling of the stretching, bending, twisting and growing, then wilting away, it’s dynamic. I like circularity of movement, the repetition of drawing from similar and different angles, the time it takes to grow and all the layers created through time. Nothing is instant or constant, always slightly shifting. A fragile system, but also with power and force to beat adversity. Being immersed in nature, being truly engulfed and to then draw it is satisfying and physical!
If you could collaborate with any brand, who would it be and why? I love to collaborate, to explore and widen my abilities and skillset learnt so far. I’ve only scratched the surface and long to work in new materials, to dig deeper creatively, focus better. Collaborations push me off course slightly and can be frustrating, but it’s always beneficial to approach work in new ways, to embrace challenges with good energy, my work is stronger for it. I love collaborations with clients ready to embrace an unfamiliar end result. It's exciting when the process determine where we end up.
About
Petra Börner (b. 1973) is an award-winning artist based in London, building her artistic universe with a signature line. Translating ideas into series or mirrored artworks; repetition, movement and energy is ever-present in her practice.
Obsessed by exploring methods and materials in new contexts; intuitive work also transform into animation, prints, patterns and take sculptural form; all playful to the eye. Often inspired by natural themes, her Swedish roots ingrained in her intimate work.
With over twenty years of expertise collaborating with a world wide clientele, paired with a unique ability to successfully combine her signature line with tailored projects, she creates timeless, yet eye- catching design.
Select Clients
Åhlens, Albert Bonniers Förlag, Amnesty, Apple, August&Piers, Bally, Bloomsbury, Blumenhouse, Boråstapeter, Burberry, Cacharel, Carel, Carven, Chanel, Claire de Rouen Books, Clements Ribeiro, Cristina Carulla Studio, Ffern, Harpers Bazaar, Heals, Hospital Rooms, Isetan, Jo Malone, Lily’s Kitchen, Louis Vuitton, Made, Marimekko, Oscars, Pan & The Dream, Penguin Random House, Please!, Pushkin Press, Roksanda Ilinčić, Royal Academy of Arts, Royal Botanic Gardens (Kew), The New York Times, The World of Interiors, Tiffany & Co, Victoria & Albert Museum, Visto Images
PETRA BÖRNER STUDIO
