Born and raised in Slovakia, Zuzana Medzay works as a freelance artist with a passion for traditional encaustic and painting with a fire. The word encaustic is of Greek origin meaning „to burn out“ or „to burn up“ and thus recreating and transforming something old to something new through the power of fire. Art has been her long-term therapy for the transformation of grief from the loss of her husband and son in a car accident, as well as treatment for PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). Gradually, Zuzana repainted herself into a new life, which she loves in all its creativity, color and gratitude to life. Her work includes intuitive expressive paintings like the power of emotions and lapsing of life's cycle. Phoenix, one’s way, elements within and around us, beginnings and endings, acceptance, life itself, along with all its inherent emotions that we experience, and live on... are the topics she paints about... Zuzana's frequent symbol is a tree. The tree is a symbol of man and also the power of life. If we destroy our roots, we cannot grow. If we don’t honour our past, we lose our future. Zuzana’s work has been exhibited in Slovakia, Czech republic, UK (London), Poland (Golaszewo) and Austria. She has participated in more than 40 exhibitions and also regularly shows at international art symposiums. She has already ilustrated six books. She is also an accredited art therapist. www.zuzanamedzay.com