Home is where the heart is, and perhaps that is why Ekaterina Popova’s paintings feel both familiar and foreign at the same time.
Her work fuses distant, beloved memories of a home in Vladimir, Russia with her current life in the United States. Taking the best of both worlds, she creates fictional spaces that combine cultural experiences unique to her.
If there’s a common place for gathering in any home, it’s the kitchen. Na Kuhnye, below, reveals the pleasant “togetherness” found in this room, whether it’s cooking for loved ones or enjoying stimulating conversation over a glass of fresh lemonade.
Sunlight filters through the windows, causing the filmy curtains to truly dazzle as the light brings out their boldest colors and proudly throws them across the room. Tomatoes are left on the counter, juicy, ripe and ready for the taking.
Meanwhile, regularly-used spices, plates and cutting boards are at one’s quick disposal for impromptu cooking—and I’m sure the following meals are clearly shared with love and laughter!
Something that repeatedly catches my eye in many of Ekaterina’s pieces is the fluffy, thick comforter which drapes the bed in a disheveled, “lived in” manner.
I find the folds and fullness of the comforter in Chuzhaya Komnata, above, hypnotizing, drawing me in with the warmth it offers, both emotionally and physically. It’s also especially colorful and feminine—the perfect counterpart for the delicate brass bedstead.
Finally, we have The Old Pharmacy. The first thing you might notice is the thick texture that gleams and scatters across the painting like a whirling snowstorm.
Lampposts cast dull, eerie light onto the pharmacy building, which is dreary and desolate in the nighttime hours—a lost remnant of its once-held splendor.
Although the scene is still and quiet (there are no people coming and going any longer) the wind whipping around the courtyard brings an unexpected burst of energy and liveliness. With all the deep blue shadows, you can almost feel the chill in the air as it rushes toward you.
You’re already hooked on Ekaterina’s art—I’m sure of it! Don’t let that enamored feeling fade. Visit her website now to view her complete portfolio.
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