Kristina Steinmetz is a self-taught artist born and raised in Germany to Croatian parents, now based in Vernon, British Columbia, Canada.

Her artistic practice began early, drawing and painting throughout childhood. By the age of ten, she was accepting commissioned work in pastel, acrylic, and oil, and by fifteen, she was exhibiting in local galleries. She later pursued a career in architecture, where she was recognized as one of Germany’s most promising emerging architects. Her work extended into furniture and lighting design, culminating in an invitation to present at the prestigious Salone del Mobile in Milan.

Despite these achievements, Kristina’s professional path gradually led her away from hands-on creative expression, reaching its lowest point during her time managing large-scale construction projects for the Canadian military. This marked a turning point, prompting her to leave governement service and return fully to her original artistic calling.

Her current body of work reflects this full-circle journey. While her early influences ranged from Impressionism and Surrealism to Renaissance art and later Hyperrealism, her practice has evolved into a refined exploration of abstraction. Drawing from her background in architecture and interior design, Kristina creates textured, minimalist works that engage with light, shadow, materiality, and spatial balance.

Now focusing on abstract painting and paper-based work, she constructs compositions that emphasize subtle tonal variation, depth, and dimensionality. Her work is intentionally designed to complement or contrast interior spaces, impactful pieces that invite closer observation.

In her ongoing paper series, Kristina repurposes reclaimed paint swatches, transforming them through a meticulous process of cutting, folding, and arranging. Each composition emerges through an intuitive yet controlled approach, where repetition and structure give way to organic form, resulting in sculptural surfaces that balance precision with softness.