About
1988: Born and raised in the countryside of Moscow, Russia
Currently lives and works nomad life
Education
2023: Long pose drawing, Barcelona Academy of Art
2019: Foundation course, London Fine Arts Studios
2018 - 2019: MA Creative and Collaborative Enterprise, University College London
2005 - 2010: BA Sociology, Lomonosov Moscow State University
Biography
Anna Antonova, a Moscow-born artist, studied sociology and anthropology in Moscow and London. Prior to embarking on her artistic career in 2018, she worked in cultural management and fundraising, honing her skills in navigating the art world. Anna's practice centers on figurative painting, specializing in oil and watercolor techniques. Her style is rooted in post-Impressionist studios, echoing Nabis group aesthetics and influenced by Gauguin and the modern Symbolist Peter Doig. Her work blends pop art and Soviet avant-garde influences, featuring vibrant colors reminiscent of David Hockney and cinematic compositions akin to Alexander Deyneka. Some pieces evoke the Soviet 1960s with their Impressionistic fluidity and thaw-era spirit.
Her debut exhibition was featured in Moscow's Art-Space-Hopping festival in July 2022, and she was shortlisted for the Emergence exhibition at VAC in New York. In spring 2023 Anna pursued additional studies at the Barcelona Academy of Art. The same year she was granted a talent visa as an artist and currently divides her time between Moscow and Barcelona.
Artist statement
I am a self-taught Russian artist currently based between Moscow and Barcelona. My work draws inspiration from an array of cultures and countries, reflecting my experiences of living in the UK, Russia, Armenia, Turkey, and Spain.
In my artistic practice, I delve into contemporary themes that encompass gender, the objectification of the female body, and the exploration of the shadow archetype as an unconscious facet of one's personality.
Many of my pieces possess a nostalgic quality. Within my paintings, I intricately explore the interplay between fantasy, sensuality, and reality. Through the plasticity of contours, the interplay of colors, the dynamics of lines, the delicate airbrushed strokes, and the blurred outlines, I seek to investigate the intricate relationships that exist between figures and backgrounds, space and atmosphere, the viewer's gaze, and the optics of the image.
My art is firmly rooted in the post-impressionist tradition, embracing the emotional, visual, and symbolic possibilities of painting. Influenced by the Soviet avant-garde, I employ experimental techniques that draw from popular aesthetics, genre scenes, and compositional framing. These elements collectively contribute to what I refer to as "sensory images" - scenes in which the haptic, optical, and emotional experiences entwine and profoundly impact the viewer.
Exhibitions
How I spent my summer, August 31 - October 1, 2023. Sample Art x Krivokolenny 9/3, Moscow, Russia
June, 2023 - Emergence, Visionary Art Collective, NYC
February 18 - March 15, 2023 - Anna Antonova, Part of a landscape, VCA Space, Moscow
July 7 - 31, 2022 - Anna Antonova, La Digue as part of Art-Space-Hopping, Krivokolenny 9/3, Moscow
Art Fairs
May 26 - 28, 2023 - Port Art Fair, Sevkabel Port, Kozhevennaya Liniya, 40, St Petersburg
September 14 - 18, 2022 - Blazar Young Art Fair, 2022, Moscow City Museum
Press
’blazar: Anna Antonova among the participants of the section of independent artists’
Art Moskovia
’Highlights of Blazar young art fair’
Art Flash Magazine, 2022
’Blazar. Section of Independent Artists: part 9’
Zen Yandex, 2022
’Blazar contemporary art fair has announced the list of participants’
The Blueprint, 2022
Buro, 2022
’Top 3 artsits at Blazar young art fair’
Tatyana Stolyar, 2022, Antigloss Telegram Channel
’Top 9 artsits at Blazar young art fair’
Alexander Radaev, 2022, Parnasskiy peresmeshnik Telegram Channel
’La Digue by Anna Antonova at Krivokolenny 9/3’
Art-Space-Hopping Festival
Portfolio request