Ivonna was born in the small town of Silkeborg in 1964. She studied at art schools in Aarhus and Aalborg. Afterwards her life took a northward turn.
"I first came to Rīga in 1992 and studied at the Latvian Academy of Arts. I settled down to live here, even though I periodically went to other countries," the artist said.
"Travelling and getting to know various lifestyles is one of the most important directions in my life," she said.
Answering the question, "What cities and countries are the closest to you," Ivonna Gerner said that these are mostly small Spanish and Mexican cities, and almost all of Thailand.
"And Rīga, of course. I came here when the city, including the Old Town, was in a very poor shape, but in the course of these years I have seen it blossom little by little, like a flower," she told LSM.
In Rīga she met Vita Lēnerte, who became her teacher in many ways. Afterwards she met Kristiāna Dimitere – a famous Latvian artist and the daughter of the great actress Vija Artmane. A few years ago Gerner and Dimitere even held a joint exhibition in the Russian city of Pskov.
Thailand and Indonesia, where the paintress first went back in 1991 seem to influence her mysterious works of art – Eastern motifs can be traced in almost every single work in the exhibit.
The journey of life is one of the central works on show, and its name is quite telling.
