Riccarda Anabel Kny

Born and raised between Vienna, Austria, and Thailand, I grew up between two cultures. As the daughter of a Thai mother and an Austrian father, I moved back and forth between the two countries throughout my childhood. At the age of twelve, I returned to Austria.

Growing up between different cultures has deeply shaped my understanding of home and belonging. Although both Austria and Thailand are important parts of who I am, I have often felt that I fully belong to neither. The cultural differences and the experience of moving between two worlds have left me with a constant feeling of searching for a place that truly feels like home.

Painting became a way for me to process and express these feelings. I use art to give space to emotions that I sometimes struggle to express through words. When I paint, I try not to plan or control the outcome. I allow the painting to develop naturally, following my emotions and instincts rather than a predetermined idea.

For me, painting is a moment of freedom. When I stand in front of a blank canvas, there is nothing I need to explain or prove. I simply let things happen. The colours, movements and forms I choose are often influenced by what I have experienced or felt during the time of creating the work.

My paintings therefore become a reflection of my emotional state at a particular moment. Each piece carries something from the experience that surrounded its creation, allowing me to transform emotions that were once suppressed into something visible.