BOHEMIAN ARTIST / CURATOR / PUBLISHER

For over 25 years, I have lived my life as a fierce, high-energy custodian of the fine arts, committed to the uncompromising pursuit of my creative vision.

To formalise this heritage, I spent years deeply studying the old ways of traditional European ceramics, while simultaneously studying traditional photography and capturing the beautiful world around me from an early age. This deep, tactile expertise formed the bedrock of my commercial career. While still in the Czech Republic, I successfully manufactured bespoke, customised commercial ceramic lines for high-end restaurants. Carrying this formidable experience across the globe, I established my own ceramic studio upon moving to Sydney, proudly launching and selling my signature creations on the iconic, bustling retail strip of Oxford Street in Paddington. Mastering these historical and commercial disciplines allowed me to understand how raw earth, glaze chemistry, light, and perspective interact under the hands of an artisan to elevate both everyday dining and fine art collections.

Now, as an artist living and creating in Canberra, Australia, my work acts as a profound cultural bridge—infusing every canvas, photograph, and curated space with my Czechoslovakian heritage, beautifully re-imagined under the incandescent light and untamed landscapes of my Australian home. I bring an unyielding drive, deep sensitivity, and love to everything I touch, always searching for the magic in unusual characters, places, and stories.

My journey is one of grand adventure, documented in my precious 2017 biography, “Life Rocks.” Over the decades, I have poured my passion into managing sacred archives, judging prestigious photographic exhibitions, and curating landmark exhibitions—with a defining personal milestone being ‘MY BOHEMIAN LOVE STORY’ at the Sydney Opera House (Utzon Room).

My deep connection to Australian art history and text preservation was further forged during my time spent working meticulously within the prestigious archives of the National Library of Australia [NLA] in Canberra, handling the nation's documentary heritage, and working across the sacred physical collections at the beloved Norman Lindsay Gallery and Museum [Norman Lindsay Gallery Faulconbridge National Trust]. Within those legendary, inspirational grounds, I had the privilege of managing the legacy of Norman Lindsay, taking care of the timeless Magic Pudding collections, and hosting my own dynamic drawing classes [Norman Lindsay Gallery Faulconbridge National Trust]. In a full-circle moment of creative triumph, my journey there culminated in curating the acclaimed ‘I AM ROSE’ exhibition and having my very own fine art portrait photography work hung proudly upon those historic heritage walls.

Extending this conservation work, I have also had the distinct honour of collaborating with the National Trust of NSW to curate exhibitions celebrating the iconic work of Harold Cazneaux—a titan of early 20th-century Australian photography—most notably at the breathtaking Everglades House & Gardens [Everglades House & Gardens National Trust Leura] in Leura. Beyond curation, I have served as a trusted advisor and consultant to the National Trust of NSW, guiding their vital efforts in the digitalisation of historical archives, website design, and building dynamic community engagement with history to connect the modern public with Australia's precious heritage [National Trust NSW Collections]. Deeply committed to the local capital community, I have also in the past volunteered with the National Trust ACT, lending my time to guide heritage-focused walks across our local landscapes.

Driven to marry my family's musical and philanthropic heritage with old-world European salon culture, I established PT. Gallery and the Bohemian Rendezvous. Through the Bohemian Rendezvous, I have found immense joy in curating and producing collective group exhibitions that unite celebrated, established masters with brilliant emerging artists, while proudly championing the performing arts, music, and poetry. This collaborative alchemy breathes live performance and lyrical beauty into heritage Australian venues, launching fresh talent while fostering a deeply connected creative community.

This deep passion for historical narrative and human connection led to my creation of Canberra Tales—an ongoing cultural storytelling initiative built to continue telling hidden local stories and building empathetic, loving bridges to our shared history. This intersection of heritage preservation, community connection, and multi-disciplinary performance culminated in my self-produced, highly acclaimed four-day heritage festival, “Verity and Tales of Canberra,” which debuted in April 2025 during Canberra's iconic Heritage Month in the Juliet Room at Verity Lane Markets. Blending a WWII-inspired curated bookshop, art, history, poetry, and jazz, it brought our local capital narratives alive through an immersive, loving celebration of community history.

Above all, PT. is my ultimate passion project—a sacred space intentionally designed to give you a place to relax, breathe, and completely escape the stress and hassle of this fast-paced world. The foundational heartbeat of PT. Gallery is built upon the profound value of true artistry and deeply knowing your craft well. We champion the absolute joy of quiet, private, and restorative creative pursuits—giving your soul the room to play without a commercial agenda—and the beautiful magic that happens when you finally step out of solitude to share those authentic creations with others. Operating across beautiful heritage sites and temporary community hubs, PT. Gallery stands as a distinguished cultural sanctuary, a prestigious launchpad for emerging artists, a stage for diverse performers, and a home for exquisite fine art and immersive creative education.

The PT. Gallery Experience & Offerings

Our Regular Pop-Up Hub at Poppyfield Commons: Come visit our vibrant monthly arts hub and pop-up space in the heart of the Inner North at Poppyfield Commons on Poppyfield Street in Dickson, Canberra [985283/]. Transforming a former nursery building into a flourishing nest for local creatives, this temporary community space hosts our regular seasonal exhibitions, interactive community installations, and our signature Canberra Tales cultural storytelling series. It is the perfect place to share stories, experience local history, and connect through art.

The Classical Atelier & Curriculum: At PT. Gallery and Art School, we believe that true artistic liberty is born from classical mastery. We offer a definitive foundation for your creative journey, deconstructing time-honoured traditions through three core structural programs:

Watercolour, Pastel, & Paint: An immersion into light, pigment, and texture, teaching students to command value, edge control, and colour harmony across classic mediums.

The Clay Heart Ceramic Series: An authentic, tactile exploration of traditional pottery, bridging old-world artistry and material science through hand-built clay workshops and advanced glaze chemistry.

3D Sculpture & Structural Form: A masterclass in mass, balance, and volume using classic mediums like plaster and wire armatures to command three-dimensional space.

Life Drawing & Antipasto Evenings: Our signature flagship event. Set to the gentle cadence of sultry background music and accompanied by a premium spread of gourmet antipasto, these sessions are a return to the foundational roots of sketching. Working from live models, guests immerse themselves in anatomical observation and classical foreshortening in a relaxed, deeply creative salon setting.

Boutique Portrait Studio & Fine Art Prints: Bringing distinct European flair to the lens, my boutique studio produces stunning, soulful portraits and high-quality fine art photographic prints. These pieces capture my regular Australian adventures interstate, along our magnificent coastline (including my acclaimed Sea Change exhibition works in Huskisson, NSW), and into our inspiring mountains.

PT. Art School on the Move: Excellence, mobilized. We bring our classical curriculum directly to you. We seamlessly deploy professional equipment, premium art supplies, and structured instruction straight to your corporate venue, private estate, or office for bespoke masterclasses and retreats.

PT. KINO: Bringing the magic of European cinema directly to local screens, this cinematic project delivers the unforgettable charm of the best Czech cult movies and fairy tales. Celebrating our storytelling heritage through film, PT. KINO is proud to host a free community screening of the beloved classic Christmas fairy tale, Popelka (Cinderella), coming this November to the exquisite luxury screens of Palace Electric Cinema in NewActon, Canberra.

YARNS Magazine & Podcasts: The literary and digital crown jewel of my creative enterprise. I am immensely proud to publish YARNS Magazine, a magnificent, eclectic quarterly masterpiece spanning over 500 pages of curated stories and photographs about unusual people and places worldwide, mostly as told by the subjects themselves. This storytelling world expanded from the airwaves of Canberra's 2XX community station, where I established and produced the weekly YARNS radio programme, producing and hosting a vibrant range of interviews with interesting local personalities, visionary artists, and innovative business owners. Today, this storytelling continues globally through three dedicated podcasts focused on social justice and international creativity, including the YARNS Radio Show & Podcast.

PT. Times: Seen through the European lens, this is a beautiful, curated cultural collection of inspiring and delicious places, food, society, and cultural happenings. Serving as a sensory lifestyle journal with old-world sensibilities, it documents local heritage, culinary artistry, hidden gems, and artistic gatherings, inviting readers to immerse themselves in the world's most vibrant cultural landscapes.

Coming Soon: Rodeo House Publishing: Expanding my lifelong devotion to print, narrative, and aesthetic preservation, Rodeo House will soon launch as a boutique, dedicated physical print publishing house. It is designed to be a premier home for high-quality, tactile literature, coffee table books, and bespoke printed collections that celebrate extraordinary heritage, deep artistry, and timeless visual stories.

Petra xo

Importantly, we at YARNS Magazine acknowledge the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the Lands where we live, learn, work and play; and we pay respect to them and their elders, past present, and future.