5 Creative Questions with… Sandra Lexi Markovic

Sandra Markovic also goes by Lexi, both of her names deriving from her full name: Aleksandra. The last time I saw her, she was explaining about her 3D printed gargoyles, while dressed as The Sorcerer's Apprentice. She had comprehensively decked out her Halloween party in the style of Disney's Haunted Mansion. Chicken wire ghost couples waltzed. An axe hung suspended before a bloodthirsty bride. A jarred head was able to move thanks to a projector, and neon green glass glowed from a cabinet.

Sandra's Halloween parties explain nearly everything about her. The other thing that reveals a lot about Sandra is her abandoned spaces photography. She captures creepy ruins - old fashioned scenes frozen in time, scrawled on by mischief-makers and crumbling around the edges - by accessing strange places where I personally would not dare to tread.

Ahead of her artist talk at Ryde Library about Vacancy, her exhibition as part of Head On Photo Festival, my friend Sandra - photographer, graphic designer, painter, prop maker, set builder and abandoned spaces enthusiast - has taken my 5 Creative Questions. She is the 48th in my series.

Sandra Lexi Markovic. Image supplied

When my creative process is stuck, I reach for… Pinterest and start scrolling through images and look at colours, textures, and lighting that spark something. As those ideas start to swirl around in my mind, they slowly unlock new directions. And if nothing’s clicking, I let myself rest. Sometimes creativity just needs a reset.

The weirdest thing about being a creative human is… your brain never really switches off. You’ll be in the middle of something completely normal and suddenly think, that random object I saw today would be perfect for a haunted Victorian photo shoot. It’s a constant stream of random, beautiful chaos.

A photograph of an abandoned space by Sandra Lexi Markovic.

The most unusual object in my house is… either my little collection of animal skulls or a music-box photo album from the 1800s that plays a tune when you open it.

I celebrate my achievements by… slowing down for a second and actually letting it sink in or another trip to Disneyland haha or as simple as a fancy coffee, or a small treat like a new prop or trinket for my collection. Then I get right back into creating.

Something in the world that already exists that I wish I had created is… The Haunted Mansion at Disneyland and being part of the Imagineering team that brought it to life. That’s my dream creative world.

Vacancy, an exhibition of abandoned spaces photography by Sandra Lexi Markovic, continues at West Ryde Library until 30 November 2025, as part of Head On Photo Festival. Sandra's artist talk, a Q&A with me, is at Ryde Library, 1 Pope Street, Ryde, tonight from 6.30pm-7.30pm.