10 Questions with Natalia Pechenkina

Natalia Pechenkina is an interior painting artist hailing from Altai, Russia, born in 1957. She currently resides in Irkutsk, Siberia. As a self-taught artist, Natalia embarked on her artistic journey over 15 years ago. She employs a diverse range of contemporary techniques in her work, such as bar-relief, sculptural and volumetric painting, mirrors, FluidArt, and epoxy resin. Continually dedicated to honing her professional skills, she actively participates in national and international exhibitions.

In August 2022, Natalia's artwork achieved third place in the "Abstraction" category at the "Russian talents" exhibition, held at the new Tretyakov Gallery. She holds membership in the Association of Artists of Modern Art (AHSI) and the Professional Union of Artists of Russia. Her artworks are available for purchase at both Russian and international galleries, including Artmajeur, Tricera, The Artling, АртМост, Онлайн24, and ARTdoART. In January, her FluidArt technique artwork was sent to the United States, and her creations are also found in various locations, including Moscow, Novosibirsk, Stavropol, Rostov, and Krasnoyarsk.

artmajeur.com/natalia-pechenkina

ARTIST STATEMENT

Natalia Pechenkina has a deep affinity for FluidArt, primarily due to its unpredictable nature, which inspires her to conduct numerous experiments. As she delves into the creation of her paintings, she finds herself almost lost in a state of meditation, momentarily detached from the constraints of time and space. Each new artwork she produces offers a variety of effects that drive her to embark on the next creative journey.

Natalia's art draws heavily from the natural shades of her region, with the foundational colors mirroring the scenic landscapes of Siberia. The blues in her work reflect the flowing waters of the Angara River and the vastness of Lake Baikal. Browns and greens capture the boundless beauty of the Taiga. Her artistic ambition revolves around vividly portraying the diverse and vibrant nature of Siberia through her paintings.

The central objective of Natalia's art is to infuse a sense of joy, happiness, and tranquility in those who contemplate her creations. She seeks to breathe PEACE and LOVE into the souls of the individuals who engage with her artwork, ultimately sharing a profound sense of serenity and affection with her audience.

INTERVIEW

First of all, tell us a little more about yourself and how you begin making art. What inspired you to pursue an art career?

My name is Natalia Pechenkina, and I am an artist of interior painting. I am a Member of the Artists Trade Union of Russia and I have been following this creative pursuit all my life. I cannot imagine my life without it!
I have mastered many modern art techniques that give me plenty of opportunities for personal expression in my artworks. I am constantly studying in some of the best modern art schools to improve my professional skills and often participate in national and international exhibitions. There have been more than 15 exhibitions with my participation this year so far; some examples are the exhibition WEIGHTLESS in Beijing, China (April 2023), ARTANKARA in Ankara, Turkey (April 2023), the exhibition ARTCONTACT, In Istambul, Turkey (June 2023), as well as the Week of Russian-Turkish Culture in Ankara, Turkey (October 2023). Lastly, I will take part in the SHANGHAI International ART FAIR in November 2023, as three of my paintings are being exhibited there.
My artworks are sold at Russian and international galleries, such as Artmajeur, Tricera, The Artling, АртМост, Онлайн24, ARTdoART. In January, one of my artworks in FluidArt technique was sent to America, and there are lots of my artworks in Moscow, Novosibirsk, Stavropol, Rostov, Krasnoyarsk.

You work with different techniques. What is one essential element in your art?

It's true, I'm experienced in many art techniques, but I always try to learn something new to move ahead in my career! What is essential for me is to mix some techniques in my piece so that they force each other and emphasize uniqueness, individuality, exclusivity, and style.

You seem to lean most of all towards painting. What does this medium represent for you? 

What I enjoy the most is the FluidArt technique. While making my paintings in it, I almost immerse myself in meditation and forget about the time and space around me. This technique is unique in its originality, various effects, and harmonious spills. 

What is your routine when working? Do you have a specific routine, or do you follow your inspiration?

I start my morning with habitual housework, and when it is done, I go to my workshop as fast as I can. It is just 50 meters from my place. My workshop is my paradise! I do know at night what I'm going to do the next morning, but all of a sudden, an interesting idea comes to my mind, so I put my unfinished work aside and start to create new pieces, being moved and inspired by my emotions. These artworks created by my emotions are swift; I am fascinated by their unexpected features! They are mostly in FluidArt. Being in the process of creating them, I forget about time and place, about where I am!
But I have a golden rule in my work: I must finish every piece I have started. I don't put it aside for a long time.

On that note, where do you find inspiration for your work?

To be honest, I think I am not so different from other artists. Because there are so many sources of inspiration around us, they are everywhere! I was born in Siberia, and I live here, not far from the beauty of Angara and the great lake Baikal, the world pearl. These places are surrounded by the boundless Taiga. And I am inspired by local nature and its beauty!

Can you tell us about the process of creating your work? What aspect of your work do you pay particular attention to?

Of course I can! I have told a little about the process of creating my artworks in FluidArt, but I want to try to add some interesting moments about it. The beginning of a new artwork is a festive moment for me! I am excited about it! Firstly I think about the colour scheme; I go through the paints and put them in the right order, one that only I can understand. I then prepare paints for work. I have some compositional plans in my mind. I put main bundles on the canvas, but this work is unpredictable because of the technique. It doesn't sometimes go as it was planned, but that is the best thing in it! That is the most exciting thing about it! I have to change, replace, add, or refill something. This work is always different! I try to understand it, to make it expressive, alive, attractive, and interesting for people! I do look at it for a long time in order to see interesting plots and effects, and the more it has such effects, the more interesting the piece is. The process of making a piece is literally an art therapy! 

Is there a piece you consider a "breakthrough" in your career? 

Yes, there is. I consider my recent artworks in the mixed media technique as breakthrough pieces in my career path. They are called «Tender Dreams» and «Muse of Spring». For these pieces, I used bas-relief, manual modeling of flowers with Porcelain mass, firing flowers, painting for the background with acrylic, and working with textured paste, epoxy, and potal oil.
It didn't come right away, but I had been thinking about an idea to make a piece with tender porcelain flowers. At first, there were many technical issues. I tried to соре with them, and finally, my artwork were finished. To my mind, I succeeded here! To put it bluntly, I haven't seen works with porcelain flowers that give tenderness and fragility to the piece.

Do you have a role model that you've drawn inspiration from when creating your art?

I am often excited by beautiful, interesting, amazing artworks of modern and famous well-known artists. But I don't fancy imitating or copying them; I want to create my own exclusive art!

What do you think about the art community and market?

Today, it's getting more difficult for modern artists to succeed, to be at the top of Olympus, because there's a big competition. But on the other hand, there are so many international exhibitions where we can not only show our artworks but also sell them. The most important thing is to aim to work and create masterpieces!

And lastly, what is your biggest career goal or dream? 

The essential goal of my art is to create unique, authorship, well-known pieces, that will cheer up and give pleasure to the eyes of everyone. I fancy making people think, dream, imagine! I breathe PEACE and LOVE with my artworks in the souls of people who contemplate them. 

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.