Artist spotlight: Natalia Kapchuk
“My artworks represent my deep-rooted concern for the environment and my desire to raise awareness about environmental issues through my creative prowess” – Natalia Kapchuk
Art. It does much more than add a pop of colour to your surroundings. It can be used to express ideas and communicate important messages where words may fail. Natalia Kapchuk, who hails from Yekaterinburg, Russia, is one such artist who constructs her pieces to highlight a very important cause: the ongoing war between man and nature, and more importantly, how we must all work together to protect it.
Kapchuk, an ambassador for the Better World Fund (BWF) and a philanthropist supporting charities and organisations dedicated to protecting the lands and oceans of the world, uses her art to showcase a number of pressing global environmental concerns caused by human impact.
“As an eco-artist and philanthropist, my artworks represent my deep-rooted concern for the environment and my desire to raise awareness about environmental issues through my creative prowess,” she tells us.
“My artworks are an actualisation of my observations – my emotions and sentiments. As an artist conscious of the world around me, I choose to express myself through creation, as I understand that art has a penetrating influence on the soul,” she shares.
Her artistic journey started at an early age, following in the footsteps of her mother – an artist and a sculptor. From creating small ceramic sculptures for local art fairs to attending art school, her quest to garner inspiration for future projects led her to travelling the world. Her trips eventually brought her to Dubai, the city she partly calls home. “I still believe Dubai is the best place in the world to live,” she tells us.
She uses a mixed-media assemblage technique, constructed with different reclaimed, natural, and industrially resourced materials, including tree bark, sand, moss, natural stones, and metal chips. Her use of vibrant colours and uniquely selected materials have a penetrating effect on the psyche, leaving observers in a state of action and self-reflection.
From the process of sourcing material to the final touches, each one of her pieces take between one and four months to produce.
However, for Kapchuk, making art is a pleasure and her biggest passion, so she doesn’t call it ‘work’. Outside of the studio, she enjoys exploring, gaining ideas and collecting materials for her artworks.
Her favourite places to visit in Dubai include Alserkal Avenue and the desert, which she says is where anyone can disconnect from reality and connect with nature.
From March 4 to April 4, at architectural marvel, the ME Dubai Hotel, her latest art exhibit ‘The Lost Planet’ is on display, featuring a touching and emotional video installation. She tells us, “I am confident that the combination of this stunning venue and the powerful messages instilled within my art will leave a lasting impression”.
Kapchuk is currently working on a series related to the ocean and its habitat and more importantly, how essential it is to protect it – another cause that’s close to her heart.