Petra Holländer is an artist and illustrator from Vienna, Austria. A graduate of the University of Applied Arts Vienna, her work combines bold characters with organic shapes, vibrant colors, and dynamic compositions to bring a sense of joy and ease to current issues.

For her Sketchbook pieces, Holländer explores the subject of balance, a theme that she tells Zócalo has become increasingly important in her life. Her playful collages reflect on the space between work and play, routine and spontaneity, hard and soft. “It is not an either/or,” she explains, “it is a balance between poles, sometimes a wobbly act on a thin rope.”

Consider how each composition takes what could be a strict juxtaposition and rearranges competing symbols into precarious Jenga towers of philosophy. It’s an everyday balancing act that aptly captures life in the year 2024.