10 Questions with Nataliia Kutykhina
Nataliia Kutykhina - Portrait
Kutykhina Nataliia was born on May 5, 1977, and was originally from Ukraine. Since 1999 she worked in the field of economics, finance, and business, but since birth, she has been a creative person. At a certain moment, she discovered the world of Art, and since 2015, she has been creating. In her work, the author explores the world around her, events, history, science, and philosophy; all facets of our universe are interesting. Every day she discovers something new in art. In art, she loves all directions - but most of all, she is inspired by classicism, abstractionism, and avant-garde, as well as the art of the future. In her work, she tries to abstract from the usual view of the surrounding world, as well as depict the world on the basis of the inner state of the soul and worldview. She believes that each person is unique and each of us has their own whole world that needs to be shared with the outside world. There are no boundaries in creativity, and each creation conveys not only the world of the artist but is also an integral part of our world, like a grain of sand is part of a vast desert.
INTERVIEW
First of all, how did you start getting interested in art? And what keeps you motivated?
My creative career began in my childhood when I devoted all my free time to drawing. My interest in art has grown over the years, and although I am an economist by profession, I still find time to draw every day.
What motivates me? - First and foremost, a great love for art and a plan to create and convey my emotions from the world around me in idle.
Why did you choose painting specifically over other mediums?
I chose to paint because I thought that with watercolors, acrylics, and oils, I could better express the fullness of my feelings and emotions and the harmony. Of course, I don't deny the role of such tools as graphics, sculpture, and others, and I love experimenting with raw materials in the background of my works as a way to convey my emotions and inner world.
The Lemons and Fish, 2022 © Nataliia Kutykhina
This abstract painting is about the unity of space and items. It is a philosophical painting. The space consists of items (Lemons), and items that take place in space (Fish), suppressing or closing the space. One does not exist without the others. The painting is about the essence of our Being and the Universe. The picture reflects the phenomenon of teleportation.
What is your favorite experience as an artist so far?
My favorite part of being an artist is getting the result I want. The amount of time I spend on each piece of work can be different; paintings can be created in a few days as well as in half a year. The most important thing is to get the result of what I have in mind.
Let's talk about your work. Can you tell us about the process of creating your work? What aspect of your work do you pay particular attention to?
I work impulsively. I can nurture an idea for a very long time (sometimes for years) and, as a result, create it very quickly. On the other hand, ideas that are born quickly can take a long time to develop because I need more time to combine colors, shapes, and details.
What is the most challenging part of your work? And where do you find inspiration?
What is the most difficult part of my work? Perhaps the process of thinking through the pictures - plot, details (how it should be and what I want to see in the end). Although there are cases, like my mosaics (luminous acrylic) and work with resin, as in my work "Amber Room," where the execution is complex and complicated.
Cassata Siciliana, 2022 © Nataliia Kutykhina
Cassata is the undisputed queen of Sicilian desserts. The origin still has Roman evidence, such as the Fresco of Villa Oplontis, near Naples, reproducing a dessert with candied fruits, very similar to cassata, which we all know. Back in the IV century, the Arabs brought sugar cane, lemon, bitter orange, tangerine, and almonds to Sicily thanks to the Phoenicians. Cassata is also often compared to female beauty because of its incredibly cute and refined characteristics. Sicilians call her sensual, in beautiful colors, a flashy portrait of Zor.
What are your preferred subjects? And what do they represent for you?
The essential concept of my work is the reflection of the world around me as I see it. I believe that sometimes the world is not as we think it is or as we see it. That is why you can find surrealistic and monochrome paintings in my work, which represent nature. In my opinion, the aim of art is to be a listener to the world in a new way that cannot be perceived with the eyes. The theme of nature can be traced in my paintings. They are abstractions aimed at something to be observed with fantasy and imagination. I like to experiment with scientific and philosophical elements when I work. And I am of the opinion that in the future scientific progress will have a completely different effect on art.
There will be a completely new campaign, new materials, new techniques, and new art transfer objects. There is both a philosophical and a scientific line in my paintings, such as "Lemons and Fish," where you can find a philosophical and scientific line discovering there the essence of being, space coverage and capture, attraction, and teleportation.
In my works, I would like to convey to the viewer my view of the world around us, of things, of nature, and at the same time, I would like everyone who looks at my works to find something new and interesting for themselves. I prefer sunny, bright, colorful, positive works that evoke joy and a good mood, and at the same time, I have complex philosophical works that evoke reflection and consequences. Also I want to give the viewer more positive and creative energy.
Is there anything else you would like to experiment with?
I love different styles and directions in painting - abstraction, classicism, and the art of the future, but I also like to experiment in my work. I have used Scotch tape to create art (Wildflowers) as well as cold china, which allows you to create textures to replicate natural objects, such as the rock in my Lizards painting. The work uses different colors (including luminescent), and different techniques, including the mosaic technique, where each element is formed in layers, and then the picture is assembled from the elements of a real mosaic prepared in this way. I also use epoxy. All these techniques cover the extension of the surface of the art and the degree of transfer of the content of the image. I also plan to try other materials such as wire, leather, and recycled materials. I love working with resin and stones.
Leopard-tree © Nataliia Kutykhina
Zebra-tree © Nataliia Kutykhina
What are you working on now, and what are your plans for the future? Anything exciting you can tell us about?
I am still working on the Titanic Triptych, it is a story that has always been interesting, and I would like to embody this story on canvas. In general, because art is the best way to communicate yourself to the world, my plans for the future are to create, create and create.
Finally, what do you hope to accomplish this year, both in terms of career goals and personal life?
This year I have already taken part in some events, such as Art Fair Ankara Turkey 2023. Three of my works were exhibited there, such as Tunnel, Silver Flowers, and Birch Stairs. Also, in August and December 2023, my works will be published in two major issues of Angelaki Magazine (Oxford). Today I did an interview for Al-Tiba 9, and I have been invited to several more exhibitions before the end of the year. I am not going to stop at the implementation of my creativity in the fine arts.
Artist’s Talk
Al-Tiba9 Interviews is a promotional platform for artists to articulate their vision and engage them with our diverse readership through a published art dialogue. The artists are interviewed by Mohamed Benhadj, the founder & curator of Al-Tiba9, to highlight their artistic careers and introduce them to the international contemporary art scene across our vast network of museums, galleries, art professionals, art dealers, collectors, and art lovers across the globe.
