Hans-Peter Szameit
Co-Founder, Director, Instructor
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Hans is born in the US. He earned a degree in Literature and Philosophy from Augustana College in the United States before focusing his attention on art. He studied drawing and painting at The Florence Academy of Art, Italy from 1995-1998 where he also received a scholarship to teach while still a student. In 1999 he briefly studied with the painter Odd Nerdrum in Norway. In 2001 he founded Pantura Studios in the United States together with Sanna Tomac, where they worked and taught a growing group of students coming from across the country and abroad. In early 2006 they moved to Sweden and founded The Swedish Academy of Realist Art (SARA). Hans has been a main teacher and lecturer at SARA since it’s foundation and has a deep passion for teaching and sharing knowledge. Hans’ paintings, drawings and etchings can be found in public and private collections throughout the world.
Sanna Tomac
Co-Founder, Artistic Director, Instructor
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Sanna is born in Sweden. She studied drawing and painting at The Florence Academy of Art between 1996-1998. Afterward, she studied briefly with the painter Odd Nerdrum in Norway together with Hans-Peter Szameit, being the first students from the FAA to connect with Nerdrum and the Norwegian school. In 2001, Sanna and Hans founded Pantura Studios in the United States, and taught growing group of students on the same time as establishing her career and starting to take commissions. In early 2006 Sanna and Hans moved to Sweden and founded The Swedish Academy of Realist Art (SARA, then called Atelier Stockholm). Since then Sanna has devoted her time to teaching and developing SARA’s education as well as her own artistic work. One of her most prominent paintings is a monumental ceiling painting commission for the Bååtska Palace in Stockholm. She has also done a number of portrait commissions, of which one of Prins Bertil hangs at the Royal Swedish Palace. Sanna’s paintings and drawings can be found in public and private collections throughout the world.
Dale Zinkowski
Instructor
https://www.dalezinkowski.com/
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Dale is born in New York and trained at the school of Visual Arts in New York, Florence Academy of Art and Grand Central Atelier. Dale has been teaching at SARA Academy since Fall 2021. As an active painter himself he is passionate about working from life.
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Theodora Capat
Instructor
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Theodora is born in Bucharest, Romania, she currently lives and paints in Stockholm. Theodora studied at SARA and graduated in 2013. She started teaching at the school that same year and is now a primary teacher at SARA. She creates fine art as well as illustrative art. Theodora has her painting studio at Kastellet in Stockholm.
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William Andersson Hägglund
Instructor
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William is born in Sweden and trained at The Swedish Academy of Realist Art (SARA) in Stockholm, Sweden, where he served as a student teacher in his final year. Before studying at SARA, William went to boarding school where he studied sculpture, ceramics as well as drawing and painting. His passion for William-Adolphe Bouguereau influences his work.
Karl Wennergren
Instructor
https://www.karlwennergren.com/
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Karl is born in Sweden and trained at The Swedish Academy of Realist Art. Karl has been teaching at SARA since 2015. He has also worked as an instructor at Uppsala University.
Karl has his own artist studio in Lund.
Torgeir Fjereide
Instructor
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Torgeir was born in Norway. He has been drawing and painting for most of his adult life and studied at the Swedish academy of Realist Art from 2014 to 2017. Now he works as an illustrator as well as teaching at SARA.
Miles Johnston
Workshops and lectures
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Miles is born in the United Kingdom but as a young boy he lived in Borneo. He has always been drawing but begun to seriously self-teach through art forums as a young teen. He studied at The Swedish Academy of Realist Art (SARA) from 2011 to 2014. Afterwards he free-lanced as an illustrator for publishers such as Wizards of the Coast and Applibot. He exhibits his pencil works internationally and also has experience in games’ studio. He has a strong online presence where he shares his work, both digital and with his pencil drawings.
Miles has been a regular teacher at SARA since 2015, he currently lives in Stockholm and visits SARA for workshops and lectures.
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