Born in Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1950, Viktoria moved with her family at the age of 3, into the house where surrealist, Gertrude Abercrombie had lived in Aledo, Illinois. This small farming community lies near the Mississippi River. There, a deep and abiding connection with nature took hold in Viktoria. Observation of her environment and creative interaction with its raw materials took the place of art education, which did not exist in her schools. During this time she taught herself to draw. Her parents discovered a book of her drawings, found her a private teacher and gave Viktoria her first art history book and art supplies. Even at an early age her work was evocative - expressing her need to portray not only the outer appearance of something but its inner reality.

After graduating from high school in 1968, Viktoria attended Augustana College for two years. She grew technically in her art making during this time but found the environment of the small Lutheran college too limiting. Viktoria's interest in feminism was emerging and there were no women in the studio art faculty with whom to exchange views. In 1970 Viktoria transferred to the University of Illinois into the Metals Program in the School of Art and Design. During this time she explored weaving which has evolved to become a metaphor in her work. In 1971, Viktoria was awarded the Rotary International Fellowship Award and she attended the Kunst og Håndverk Skole in Oslo, Norway where she expanded her metals focus into industrial design. She traveled throughout northern Europe, England and Italy discovering the work of the masters and the avant-garde. Upon returning to UIUC Viktoria received a BFA in 1973.

In 1982 Viktoria received a second BFA from UIUC in painting. At this time she became interested in papermaking and upon graduation she became Director of Research and Development at Editions in Cast Paper in Urbana, Illinois. She worked with artist, Frank Gallo, to write Guide for Papermaking, and developed a media-based education curriculum for papermaking, as well as researching paper fibers and dyeing agents.

Viktoria received her MFA in Sculpture/Papermaking in 1985 after establishing the Paper Program with Frank Gallo, her advisor. That same year, Viktoria received a Donald Cuspit Recognition Award for her MFA installation at Krannert Art Museum. During her graduate studies Viktoria began to show both nationally and internationally.

Since those formative years, Viktoria's art making has continued to evolve both materially and subjectively. Today she primarily oil paints and makes wire drawings. The environment continues to be of great interest to her and the spiritual experience of the art making process itself.