Interview
Theresa Gregor
Theresa studied sculpture at HTL Hallein. In 2010, she studied at the Friedl Kubelka School for Artistic Photography in Vienna.
Theresa studied Scenography and Costume, Film and Exhibition architecture at the Universität Mozarteum Salzburg from 2011 to 2017. While still at the university, she took a painting class offered by Academy of Fine Arts of Venice.
Since 2017, Theresa has been working as a freelance stage and costume designer, and since 2019, as a contemporary art therapist.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I’m Theresa Gregor and I’m 35. I was born in the small Austrian village, Lilienfeld. Since then I moved around quite a bit, making some stops in London, Zürich, and Los Angeles. Currently, I live and work in Venice and Vienna as a stage/costume designer and contemporary art therapist.
My work requires me to travel quite a bit, and I do a lot of different things in order to be inspired in my artwork. My journey in the art world started at a super early stage in my life and those around me always encouraged and supported me to become an artist.”
What inspires you most?
“I mostly get my inspiration from my daily life and my work in the theater. For instance, I love to paint before I design a stage or costume. I paint the play or the opera, I paint my feelings, or better still, how the play makes me feel.”
“I want to believe that people understand my art, and that they can see their own story as the message. I believe that my art can change the world for the better.”
Which artists influence you most?
“Most definitely Jan Švankmajer. He is the reason I decided to become an artist when I was 4 or 5 years old.”
What is your creative process like?
“It always changes. Sometimes I think about an idea for months, and at other times, I just start to do something. In most cases, however, I just dream about it. So I would say that my creative process starts with my dreams.”
Prêt-à-porter art, ready to wear on the wall
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“I think it’s important to stay in touch with handmade, natural beauty. We are already surrounded so much by the online world and mechanically-produced things. I have a feeling that the artist’s role in society should be to show that imperfection is sometimes the perfection itself, and to bring back some handmade energy to society.”
Instagram: @thereskagregor
