Illustration & Art | Atelier Alexandra Hochreiter

Alexandra Hochreiter is a Romanian-born visual artist and illustrator with a background in architecture and resides near Vienna with her husband and their cat, Strudel.

Embracing interdisciplinary design and visual storytelling, she infuses a bit of magic into every illustration that she creates, looking at her subjects through a special lens, that allows fantasy to overcome reality. Whether working with traditional or digital mediums, she is wholly absorbed in the intricacies of mixed media techniques, seeking to craft rich textures that mirror the complexities her subjects. As she delves into the artistic process, she navigates the delicate balance on the thin line she refers to as "controlled accidents," exploring the unexpected and embracing the beauty found in the spontaneous moments of creation.

Over time she surrendered to the tiny voices within and conjures people to allow extraordinary into their ordinary lives.

EXHIBITIONS | EVENTS | NEWS

2025 || finalist/winner within the Romulus Candea Preis 2025 with the unpublished book "The Shed" / »Der Schuppen«

2024-2025 || Part of the project/ exhibition comissioned and organised by the Brasov Museum of Art for the project "𝑯𝒆𝒓 𝑨𝒓𝒕 𝑺𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚" - with the portrait of Margarete Depner. The project aims to bridge the past and present by inviting 16 contemporary female illustrators to reinterpret and bring to life the works of women artists from the Brașov Art Museum collection.

2024 || part of the TANGENTE VISIONALE Team within the Tangente St. Pölten – Festival für Gegenwartskultur in co-operation with ArtEmbassy and Österreichisches Institut für nachhaltige Entwicklung (ÖIN) during which three house walls in St. Pölten will be transformed into oversized canvases in a collaborative work process (Mural Work)

2024 || Visual Art Live Performance in form of a live drawing projection for “Die Rosarote Brille”, Exhibition of the KulturhauptSTART as part of the official opening of the Tangente St. Pölten

2024 || Project “Home” selected to be displayed at Romanian Design Week 2024, #11 edition under the theme CONNECTIONS, a multidisciplinary festival dedicated to creative industries, organised by The Institute

2023 || GROUP EXHIBITION Austrian Illustration Ausstellung -"Drawn to Water" shown on beamer, Alte Schiebekammer, Vienna

2021 || COMISSIONED GROUP EXHIBITION for the National Cotroceni, headquarters of The Presidential Administration, Bucharest, Romania

“Ferdinand and Maria: a common destiny, Greater Romania”

2021 || GROUP EXHIBITION at Senso Gallery, “Feminine March”
(“Martie la Feminin”), March 2021, Bucharest, Romania a glimpse of the opening day

INTERVIEWS & PRESS

https://herart.ro/alexandra-hochreiter

IQads Art&Magic

Revista Atelierul

Curatorialist.ro

Cartogioni

Profiart - Artists & Inktober

SPOTLIGHT mini interview for the weekly Newsletter of the Romanian Platform "Design Library"/ "Libraria de design"

https://ticklenews.substack.com/p/13776139_tickle-news-15

Week 122 @stillherestilllife x @supergroupprojects

Experimenting with some granulated watercolor and fluo ham on fancy watercolor paper. Could have been an entry in the sketchbook but good materials do make a difference !
Reference at the end of the slides.

Let me crack your egg 😍
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#stillherestilllife #stillpainting #contemporaryillustration #inspiredaily #granulatedwatercolor #watercolorillustrationpainting #traditionalillustration #stilllifeart #egg #eggillustration #foodeditor #foodeditorial #foodillustrator #foodillustration #breakfastclub #breakfastillustration #breakfastart #breakfasttime #hahnemühlepaper #artexperiments #visualsnack

Which one do you like most ? — 𝙏𝙞𝙣𝙮 𝘽𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙨
I’ve been quietly working on these five mini originals - where gold meets neon, and rabbits wear trousers or tattoos like they’ve always belonged. They shimmer, they glow, and honestly… they kind of made me laugh while painting 😂 A bit of sparkle, a bit of cheek — and hopefully, a bit of joy for your walls.

Each piece is 13x18 cm, painted by hand on white or black paper, and comes in a ready-to-frame A4 passepartout - if you want one let me know - the are Mini Originals and one of a kind

Which one is your favorite? (In order of appearance)
1️⃣𝑰𝒏𝒌𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝑩𝒖𝒏
Bust portrait of neon tattooed rabbit on white paper
2️⃣ 𝑬𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒄 𝑪𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒏
Golden head of a chicken on black paper, with neon rosa crest
3️⃣𝑮𝒐𝒍𝒅𝒆𝒏 𝑺𝒏𝒊𝒇𝒇
Golden ears and gold nose rabbit face on white paper
4️⃣𝑳𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝑵𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝑳𝒂𝒑𝒊𝒏
Golden rabbit dressed with neon striped trousers on black paper
5️⃣𝑫𝒖𝒔𝒌𝒚 𝑪𝒉𝒆𝒆𝒌𝒔
Black ears, golden pastel rabbit on white paper

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#minioriginals #contemporaryillustration #rabbitportrait #neonandgold #artcollectorsclub #newartdrop #traditionalart #romanianillustrator #easterillustration #animalportraits #animalillustration #originalartforsale #handpainted #goldillustration #whimsicalillustrations #whimsyart

I remember sitting on the floor, brush in hand, paper taped down — and this strange mix of excitement and uncertainty in my chest.
@kristina.mecklenfeld had already asked me to paint a possible cover — but nothing was guaranteed. All I could do was pour myself into it and hope she’d see what I saw.

That was five years ago.
I started with a red background, mixed by myself from 2 different colors. Bold and warm, then slowly built the scene, one brushstroke at a time. Twisting branches, muted greens, deep midnight blue. And then — her. Serene and strong, quietly holding the center.
Painted traditionally, with breaks for tea, doubt, and layers drying.

Now, all this time later, she is the cover of "Medalionul Domniței"
Swipe to see how she came to life.
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#bookcoverart #traditionalpainting #gouacheillustration #artprocess #artistjourney #paintingdetails #coverillustration #romanianillustrator #gouachelove #artstudio #creativeprocess #artistatwork #coverdesign #bookart #paintedcover #artstory #visualnarrative #paintingvibes #botanicalillustration #fineartillustration #bookdesign #buchgestaltung #buchumschlag #coverartwork #bookart #publishedartist #publishingillustration #editorialillustration #comissionedartwork

I had the chance to create this editorial illustration for an article written by Vlad Gheorghiu and published on @theanthro.art, uncovering an often overlooked piece of Romania’s recent past. The story dives into the transformation of Hunedoara after the fall of socialism — from the proud hum of the Corvinul steel mill to the ghostly quiet of a once-beloved football stadium.

Both the factory and the stadium, once symbols of identity, pride, and community, have slowly faded into the background of a changing landscape. This artwork aims to capture not just the physical decay, but also the emotional weight of that loss — the stories etched into concrete and smoke, and the echoes left behind.

You can read the full article here: https://theanthro.art/the-steel-mill-corvinul-and-the-stadium-an-overlooked-chapter-of-post-socialist-transition-in-hunedoara-romania/

Thank you Maria for this wonderful opportunity ! @antropedia_sfertul.academic
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#illustrationeditorial #editorialillustration #visualstorytelling #hunedoara #romania #postsocialism #industrialheritage #corvinulhunedoara #artjournalism #memoryillustration #romanianillustration #romanianillustrator #freelanceillustrator #illustrationportfolio #narrativeart #hireanillustrator #contemporaryillustration #illustrationdaily #editorialartist #itsnicethat #creativeboom #illustrationage #thisisinspiration #boooooooom #weareillustration

following with my brush the rhythm of the forest, layering fresh greens and golden light until spring took shape on paper🍃✨
I tried to capture that fleeting moment when the woods awaken—when the air feels lighter, the colors brighter, its first breath and life hums in every branch.
Can you feel it too? 🌱

snippet from "Spring was born in the Forest"
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#springvibes #springillustration #springintheforest #forestillustration #traditionalpainting #forestwhispers #natureillustration #inspiredbynature #greendreams #intothewood #springawakens #whimsicalart #traditionalillustration

Nothing beats the thrill of a secret treat! Haan’s grandpa knows this well as he tiptoes into the basement for a bite of creamy, flaky cremșnit / cremeschnitt
Some cravings are just too strong to resist! 🍰✨

What was your number one treat you would sneak for in the middle of the night ?
I hope you have a sweet Sunday, wherever you are !
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Latest illustrated recipe from the "Transylvanian Cookbook" for @haanpc
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#cremeschnitte #cremsnit #illustrationart #storytellingthroughart #latenightindulgence #visualstoryteller #illustratedrecipe #recipeillustration #romanianillustrator #romanianrecipe #romanianfood #cookbook #kochbuch #cakeart #theycookanddraw #ilustratie #foodillustration #foodmagazine

I first started this piece in 2020, tucking it away and rediscovering it at the start of each year—adding a dot here, a line there and then hiding it away again.. It became a quiet tradition to look at it every march, a piece of art suspended between then and now. And now, in 2025, I’ve decided: it’s time to finally finish it and release it in the world 🪄✨

Even though my artistic style has evolved, this piece still holds a special kind of magic. I still remember the excitement I felt when I first imagined it—a world where spring unfurls deep in the heart of the forest, where light filters through the trees, and nature awakens

This is a snippet of 𝗦𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗮𝘀 𝗕𝗼𝗿𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁🌷 and after all these years, it's finally ready to bloom.

Would love to hear your thoughts on this piece and on this really long process, I'd love to hear if this happened to you too 🌸

Traditional illustration - Mixed Media on @fabriano1264
cold pressed paper.
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#springawakening #natureillustration #forestmagic #springillustration #artinprogresss #whimsicalart #fantasyillustration #springiscoming #mysticalforest #gouacheart #natureinspired #paintingprocess #storybookillustration #fantasyworld #traditionalart #botanicalillustration #artisticsoul #visualstorytelling #enchantednature #rebirth #springrevolution #springart #womanillustration #girlcharacter

When I first painted this artwork in 2020, it was just a dream. Fast forward to today, and I can’t believe it’s now a real book cover 📖 out in the world! ✨

Last year, I collaborated with @crimescenepress on "Medalionul Domniței"/ "The locket of the Lady", and soon, I’ll finally hold my own printed copy in my hands—I can’t wait to share more with you then!

A huge shoutout to Cristina @kristina.mecklenfeld for her trust, perseverance, uplifting spirit, and, of course, the stunning photos she allowed me to publish here!

If you come across this book, snap a pic and tag me—I’d love to see it in your hands and hear your thoughts! ❤️
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#bookcoverart #bookillustration #coverdesign #bookcoverdesigner #bookcover #bookstagram #buchumschlag #buchgestaltung #mysterybooks #crimethriller #bookishlove #illustrationoftheday #artinspiration #handpainted #creativeprocess #publishingworld #dreamcometrue #artcommunity #artistatwork #visualstorytelling #independentartist #artjourney #instaart #bookart #bookdesign #readersofinstagram #creativelife #artpassion #traditionalartists

A touch of magic, a whisper of dreams – five new fine art prints are here, each carrying a story waiting to be told ✨

✨ 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗹 𝗦𝘆𝗺𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗻𝘆 – Let music take you to a place where notes turn into landscapes and melodies set you free.
🌿 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗛𝘂𝗴 – A quiet embrace with nature, where the heart finds peace in the arms of an ancient tree.
❄️ 𝗦𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 – The gentle triumph of light over cold, as spring unfurls its colors in the snow.
🌸 𝗟𝗼𝘁𝘂𝘀 𝗚𝗶𝗿𝗹 – A moment of stillness, where the soul blooms like a lotus, rising from the deep.
🌊 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗮𝗻𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 – Dive into a dreamlike world where the water hums a lullaby, and the mind finds rest.

These are more than just prints – they are little portals into wonder. If one speaks to your heart, send me a message!

I ship worldwide, or you can find them in person at my upcoming markets. Which one calls to you the most? 💫

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#fineartprints #handpainted #magicalart #artthatspeaks #dreamyillustration #artforthesoul #etherealart #whimsicalillustration #fantasyart #surrealillustration #musicandart #naturelover #treehugger #springawakening #mindfulnessart #waterdreams #serenespaces #meditativeart #visualpoetry #artforsale #buyartonline #affordableart #collectorsedition #shopsmall #supportindependentartists #gallerywalldecor #womenwhocreate #expressyourself #inspiredaily #artthatheals

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