Anna Skrabal – Grand opening of her workshop in Thon

Anna Skrabal sees art as an offset to her work
The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls. This Pablo Picasso quote matches to Anna Skrabal (36) from Thon/Grafenstein.

In art, the child and adolescent psychiatrist finds the offset to her complex and demanding profession. With her hands she creates images of human beings and these images speak of love, joy, grief, fear, fury.
"It is the touch. I hold the wax in my hands, feel, warm and shape it" says Anna Skrabal. Her 2.30 m high bronze crucifix "Balance" was shown at the Biennale Austria in 2006.

The artist, born in Wolfsberg, Carinthia, who has Spanish roots, does not need much material to create her sculptures. "All it takes is some wire in order to position the wax correctly, and a nail file." Once the wax sculptures have been made, they are brought to a casting shop in Feldbach, Styria, where they are casted in bronze.

The sculptures reflect in a fascinating way the soul of human beings – joy, grief, love, intimacy – all the facets of life: human beings interest me in their entirety, their spirits, their souls, their bodies. This was also the reason why I decided to study medicine. However, there is one difference between my life as a psychiatrist and an artist: In my profession I talk very much. As an artist I move away from the words and express my emotions in other ways." Anna Skrabal acquired the skills needed for sculpturing at the Arts School in Vienna: "I was dreaming of sculptures at night, was seeking a way to express the pictures in my head; however, I did not know how."
Only six years ago the artist found her way from clay work to bronze casting: "When I was working with clay, I felt limited - I was not able to translate my inner thoughts into the artworks.
With wax, it's different. I can shape whatever I feel or perceive."

The artist cannot imagine a life without art. She is opening her workshop in Thon on 1 and 2 December 2006. "My sculptures are like acupuncture needles, they change the energy flow in the room." The sculptor who has already travelled half the world speaks three foreign languages (English, Spanish, French) fluently. She relaxes from her full-time work at the county hospital in Klagenfurt and from her duties as a mother of two when she goes travelling, hiking or mountain climbing; and she does yoga and character dance.

More informations on the german version.