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Portrait of the artist and owner of this site: Zita Panyi.
 
Welcome to my site,
Biography

My art is inseparable from the coping after survival and from the gesture and actions of healing and from the love of animals. These transformations have creative potential. Because traumas must be transformed into steps of community building, common development and connection.

In 2003, I obtained my first degree (BA) in teaching with a minor in music. I earned my second degree, an MA, in pedagogy and Hungarian literature in 2008. I’ve been writing poems since 2010.

The post-communist Hungary, where I was born and which is now becoming a competitive authoritarian system, restricts artists' self-expression and existential safety in many ways. As a result, I lost my connection to art for almost a decade and a half. For a long time, I worked with the rehabilitation of traumatized dogs. In January 2024, my husband and I emigrated to Finland.

Since then, I have been teaching myself to draw and paint. The endless pine forests, exploring the archipelago, and the atmosphere of the harbors fill me with joy. I want to leave as small ecological footprint as possible, even in my creative work. That's why oil pastels and water-soluble paints appeal to me.

Artistic vision

It is important to support the abused so that they can become survivors from victims. It is important that they have autonomy and a future. It is important that everyone has their own dignified life.

That's why my vision is to define the pieces of reality, to put them in context, to help us face them. My vision is a society where discourse on human rights is unnecessary because free participation, choice of profession, security, equality, and work-based wages free from discrimination are fundamental and integral parts of public thinking.

The more space we give to creation and the thinking that goes with it, the more people will find words and ways to express their emotions and experiences. They will be able to broaden their horizons and demonstrate their values. Belonging to a community gives joy. Art provides affirmation, friendships and a supportive atmosphere that relieves loneliness. We all want to belong to others. We want recognition. A life full of dignity and opportunities.

I think these are the building blocks of healthy personality development and, indirectly, of societies becoming adults and responsible. I would like to encourage and support my fellow women by sharing my story. To put the importance of women's and animal rights into discourse.

Tap to enlarge the picture and read its story or long-tap to see its technical details.
This is a wax oil pastel painting. It shows an emotional looking young dachshund dog peeking from behind a tree trunk. She is holding on with his paws to get a better view. The figure of the dachshund is cartoon-like. His fur is in shades of blue. Her shadier parts are purple and her chest is a reddish brown. Her ears are fluttering. We can see her face, her front paws and her chest from behind the tree trunk. Around her, yellow, blue and reddish-brown spots and circles are floating in the air.

Technical details

Surface: Fabriano cold pressed watercolour paper, 300 g/m², 25% cotton, acid free
Medium: Caran d'Ache 48 Neoart 100% lightfast wax oil pastels and Caran d'Ache 100 Luminance colored pencils
Image size: 14.8cm × 19.5cm

Blue Mood

This is an abstract watercolor painting. The shapes in the painting are rendered with blotches and strong brushstrokes. The colors are vibrant. Two poplar trees draw attention from the bluish-turquoise background. Their lush canopies evoke the colors of fire. Yellow, orange, and red colors flow toward the sky. Occasionally, a dark brown and white branch emerges from among them.

Technical details

Surface: Fabriano cold pressed watercolour paper, 300 g/m², 25% cotton, acid free
Medium: Faber-Castell Albrecht Dürer watercolor pencils
Image size: 10.5cm × 14.8cm

Flames of Summer

This drawing was done with permanent wax oil pastels and wax-based colored pencils. This is a stylized landscape. In the background you can see the sun. Colored yellow and orange. Its rays form stripes of different thickness. Wavy lines on the bluish and reddish rocks separate the shades as the sunlight reaches their highest points. On the right, we can see a big tree with a large canopy. But we can't see the contours of the leaves. The entire canopy is spring green. The outlines are darker green. To the left, we can see some triangular pine trees that are receding. Behind the trees is a large mountain. Its darkest color is dark purple. Below the dark purple, we can see a bright red stripe. This symbolizes the desert.

Technical details

Surface: Arches, hot pressed watercolour paper, 300 g/m², 100% pure cotton, acid free, OBA-free
Medium: Caran d'Ache 48 Neoart 100% lightfast wax oil pastels and Caran d'Ache 100 Luminance colored pencils
Image size: 26cm × 36cm
Time to create: 12h

Where the Desert Ends

This artwork is an abstract watercolor painting. On the top of the picture we can see a red sun surrounded by a blue and black contour line. From the part under the sun to the bottom of the picture we can see mountains, some rivers, fields and green forest's strips. But in such a way that brown, blue, yellow, green and red stripes flow into each other. The whole thing undulates like the sea. The top third of the picture is left white. Sparkling white. There are three small birds painted in black, they are heading to the left. A fourth larger bird is heading to the right.

Technical details

Surface: Arches, hot pressed watercolour paper, 300 g/m², 100% pure cotton, acid free, OBA-free
Medium: Talens watercolor
Image size: 26cm × 36cm
Time to create: 7h

Lack of Purple

This is an oil pastel painting. In the middle of the picture we can see a lovely, black-and-brown German Shepherd with a serious face lying in a large clearing in the grass. He has come out of the woods and is resting. He is looking at the camera and holding his orange ball between his paws with a piece of rope hanging from it. He is enjoying the afternoon sun. In the background, the deciduous trees are magnificent in autumn. The large dog casts a shadow in front of him, darkening the grass in the foreground. The painting is done in a realistic style. A lot of attention was paid to small details, such as the fur of the animal, the blades of the grass, and the spikes of the ball.

Technical details

Surface: Sennelier Oil Pastel Pad. Acid free 340 gr 24x32 cm
Medium: Caran d'Ache 96 Neopastel extra-fine oil pastels
Image size: 24cm × 32cm

Rex

This is an oil pastel painting. On the left side we can see a part of the trunk of a birch tree. Some branches lean to the right. The sky is sunny and blue and the winter sun shines white. It shines through the tree branches. In the middle of the picture we can see a strip of distant forest with a church tower. In the foreground we can see a thick layer of snow. A reddish-brown grassy and bushy area appears among the snowdrifts.

Technical details

Surface: Talens oil colour paper, 300 g/m²
Medium: Caran d'Ache 96 Neopastel extra-fine oil pastels
Fixative layer: Talens Varnish for oil pastels
Image size: 29.7cm × 21cm

Winter Field

© All rights reserved. – zitapanyi.com – 2025

This is an oil pastel painting. In the middle of the picture we can see a lovely, black-and-brown German Shepherd with a serious face lying in a large clearing in the grass. He has come out of the woods and is resting. He is looking at the camera and holding his orange ball between his paws with a piece of rope hanging from it. He is enjoying the afternoon sun. In the background, the deciduous trees are magnificent in autumn. The large dog casts a shadow in front of him, darkening the grass in the foreground. The painting is done in a realistic style. A lot of attention was paid to small details, such as the fur of the animal, the blades of the grass, and the spikes of the ball.
Swipe on the picture to see more!

Rex

He will forever be my little dog, even though he was my biggest canine friend in terms of size. We only had three years of our lives to share with each other. We became friends very quickly, which was very special. During these three years, we have meant security and family to each other. That is how we survived all the human evil and pain around us. Rex taught me to recognize that behind a dog's silence and "good behavior" there is often a person who is breaking the dog's soul and preventing them from expressing their joy and playfulness. I saw this many times when I was rehabilitating dogs. It gradually burned me out. Because I saw the indifference, the lack of compassion, and the uncaring attitude of a whole society towards animals and people. Including veterinarians, law enforcement, neighbors and ordinary people. This too motivated me to continue my life in a different country. Rex, my great friend, my little dog, be very happy in your next dog life! Go on trips to beautiful places, eat delicious foods, play a lot, be taken care of with love. Meanwhile, I have painted you so that many people can see your goodness, your dignity, and think of you with love.