Eternal feminine: paintings to be solved
Natalia Klimova — an artist who prefers to paint your soul, not portrait.
“For me art is life. Many artists would probably answer so. But it’s true. Art is completely my world. I never even imagined that I could do something else or be someone else. It could not be otherwise. Painting only. Absolutely and unconditionally.
I don’t set any special goals when I come to the workshop in the morning. I don’t think if I want to change the world or not. I’m about expressing on canvas my own feelings and experiences. The most sincere and intimate. And then when people see my paintings, everyone finds something of their own. Not so long ago one very serious man, a general, came to my exhibition. He saw one of my girls, my paintings, and said something that turned my world upside down. He said: “You know, this girl in your picture reflects my entire inner world right now». It was very surprising and pleasant. Usually women and girls admire my paintings. They say, oh, what a dress you drew, I would like to buy the same one for myself. Later they begin to look at the painting thoughtfully, delve into it, search for hidden meaning.
Main characters of my paintings are women. That’s why it seems to me that my works are closer and understandable to a female audience. I don’t paint portraits or some specific people. I always try to capture a state of mind, elusive sensation. Still some women say that they recognize themselves on canvases. I always create an image of future painting in my head not using any references or photos. And it’s so pleasant when someone sees her or even his reflection on my canvases. It means my paintings are in tune with vivid life.
Girls and their souls, their thoughts and emotions. The illusion of a picture in a picture is a technique I often use. Sometimes in my works I encrypt the plots of legends or old fairy tales. There is a whole universe to feel, to experience and to look at each canvas. And the more you look, the more new meanings you find. It captivates me. I hope it is interesting to my viewers too. However, I never aim at illustrating a legend or a fairy tale. I only try to embody some specific motives that inspires me the most.
All my works are inspired by music. When painting I always listen to folk. My absolute favorite is «Melnitsa» folk group. I can listen to this music endlessly. Surprisingly, it is also deeply connected with medieval legends and traditions. When it sounds in my head I catch the right wave, you know, a good vibration that stimulates creativity and imagination.
Sometimes I direct the eyes of my heroines on viewers. I do it on purpose. When you are in a crowd and someone is staring at you, you will definitely feel it and look back. That’s how it works with my paintings. You just can’t resist to look directly in their eyes. The eye-contact is important. It’s like a conversation without words. Sometimes, on the contrary, I paint my girls with closed eyes or looking away. In such works I focus on details, on a story. You can never see any vivid emotions on the faces of my heroines. They are hidden, mysterious, focused on themselves. It seems important as in our life we usually experience most intimate things with our eyes closed, immersed in our world where we don’t need to wear masks. Someone says that my girls are sad, but for me they are rather thoughtful and self-absorbed.
Painting makes me work on myself non-stop. It also requires the ability to hear and to feel the world around. Everything that surrounds us can be a pure inspiration, you just have to catch it and reflect it on canvas. But sometimes I deliberately try not to read newspapers and not to let negative information into my mind. I lock myself in my own world. Maybe that’s why the characters of my paintings are so calm and full of harmony. Let’s hope the same harmony is within me.
I’ve always loved painting. All the wallpapers in my parents’ house were covered with my childish pictures as well as every tiny piece of paper. Then there were all sorts of art and painting classes, an art school, Nizhny Novgorod art school where my ultimate desire to be an artist was born. Although at one point I even thought of a career as a scientist because I was engaged in mathematics. But then I realized that painting is much more than just a hobby. It is my way to sense the world and to experience life itself.
I dream that one day people would be kinder and more tolerant to each other and to the world in general. It is the root of the root. If we manage it, humanity will be fine.”
