1.2 Biography
My name is Petra Stokar. I am a woman born in the Netherlands, now living in Switzerland since several years.
On this website I present my creative expressions.
I have several passions: the first one is Integrated Dance. Integrated dance is a method, where disabled and not disabled people are dancing together. It is a form of modern dance. I learnt it with Adam Benjamin (http://www.adambenjamin.co.uk) in the UK.
England is also the place where I studied «Performing Arts in the community». It is a study that I have done at the University of East London (http://www.uel.ac.uk). My main interest was Phenomenology. (Phenomenology is a way to look at things differently, although you have already seen them many times, e.g. a wheelchair). One of my essays on phenomenology will explain this subject in more depth. I got my Higher National Diploma (HND) at the end of my studies in England, 2008.
The second passion is Abstract Painting. Albrecht Schneider, a teacher of the Bern University of the Arts (http://www.hkb.bfh.ch/en) (Hochschule der Künste in Berne – HKB) has brought me in touch with that subject. Albrecht taught me that painting can be playful and that it doesn’t have to be technical. The best drawings come to life, when we allow ourselves to work with the coincidence: Coincidences can occur, when you allow yourself the freedom to play without much thinking and reasoning, letting your intuition run free. Chances are that you may be surprized by the results.
For me, imagination is the greatest power. That is why the main title of my master paper, which marks also the starting point for this website, is «Painting beyond limits».
My third passion is Nature. That is the area where I get most inspiration from. I use elements (e.g. plants, stones and feathers) as tools and listen to the song of rivers and oceans. This is where I draw a lot of energy from.
