10 Questions with Natalia Kaminskaya
Natalia Kaminskaya (Natalia Shigaeva) is a multidisciplinary artist currently based in Georgia. Working under her artistic name, she explores a broad spectrum of media, including digital painting, pastel, acrylic, oil, gouache, ink, and mixed techniques involving texture paste, gold leaf, and modelling compounds. Her visual language is distinguished by rich emotional depth, vibrant detail, and a fusion of classical and contemporary influences.
Natalia’s subjects range from mythic feminine archetypes and spiritual light to modern cityscapes, nature, and the sacred architecture of Georgia. Inspired by the aesthetics of Klimt and Monet, her works often embody a contemplative or symbolic layer, encouraging viewers to reconnect with inner emotion, silence, and beauty.
She has participated in several international exhibitions, including Boomer Gallery (London, 2025), group exhibitions in Russia and Georgia, and upcoming digital showcases such as ArtPrize 2025 (USA, September 18 – October 6), Life & Death 2025 (USA), Art UPON, Al-Tiba9, and the “Home” Open Call by The 34 Gallery. Her artworks are held in private collections in Russia, Georgia, Spain, Japan, Turkey, and Germany.
In addition to her artistic practice, Natalia teaches painting to children and adults in her own studio space in Georgia. She continues to study with a master and expands her creative horizons through digital formats and international calls.
Natalia Kaminskaya - Portrait
ARTIST STATEMENT
Natalia Kaminskaya is a multidisciplinary artist whose work spans digital art, pastel, acrylic, oil, and mixed media. Inspired by nature, mythology, and emotional depth, she creates vivid, symbolic, and highly textured pieces that blend fantasy with introspection. Her artistic vision explores the intersection of the mystical and the every day, often through female archetypes, sacred symbolism, and dreamlike atmospheres.
Working both traditionally and digitally, Kaminskaya develops unique visual languages in each series. Her pastel works embody tenderness and layered emotion, while her digital paintings channel energy, clarity, and symbolic richness. Many of her characters emerge from silence, light, or fire, evoking personal transformation and spiritual resilience.
Kaminskaya believes in the healing and revealing power of art—each piece is a moment of inner truth and a bridge to the universal human story.
Her works have been exhibited in international art shows, including exhibitions in London (Boomer Gallery), digital showcases in the U.S. and Europe, and thematic online contests. Her art is held in private collections across Russia, Georgia, Spain, Turkey, Japan, and Germany.
The Bloom of inner Sky, digital, 2025 © Natalia Kaminskaya
INTERVIEW
First of all, let’s start from the basics. How did your journey as an artist begin, and what drew you to this career?
My journey as an artist began in childhood — drawing was my way to understand the world and express emotions that I couldn't yet put into words. At school, I often created posters, illustrated greeting cards for my friends, and loved to depict scenes from fantasy worlds and cartoons. Art became a space of freedom and sincerity for me. Later, I studied classical painting techniques and gradually began exploring various mediums, from oil and acrylic to pastel, ink, and digital tools. What drew me into this path was the possibility of creating entire worlds and conveying inner states through colour and form. Art became not only a profession but also a way of living and connecting with others.
You work with everything from pastel and oil to digital media. How do you choose which medium to use for a piece?
The choice of medium depends on the emotion, atmosphere, and message I want to convey. If I'm drawn to a luminous, dreamy mood with soft textures, I reach for pastels — it feels like painting with air and emotion. For symbolic or architectural subjects, I often choose oil or acrylic with textured techniques, allowing for layering and depth. When I need freedom and spontaneity, I turn to digital media. It lets me combine tradition and modernity, experiment fearlessly, and work intuitively. Each material becomes a partner in dialogue, and I listen to what the image "asks for."
Devana, digital, 2025 © Natalia Kaminskaya
Many of your works focus on feminine archetypes and sacred imagery. What inspires these recurring themes?
I'm deeply inspired by the archetypal feminine — not just as a figure, but as a force of intuition, transformation, and inner light. My characters are priestesses, guardians, wanderers, or visionaries, reflecting different facets of the soul's journey. Sacred motifs — halos, cosmic patterns, crowns, stars, or animals — appear as symbols of inner power and connection to nature and the divine. These images are my way of restoring lost reverence for femininity — soft, strong, mysterious. I also draw from mythology, dreams, and folklore — universal languages that speak to something deep and timeless within us.
What role does your current environment in Georgia play in your creative process or subject matter?
Living in Georgia has become a profound source of inspiration for me. The landscapes — from the misty mountains to the Black Sea coast — carry a sense of timelessness and mystery. The ancient monasteries, stone churches, and rich cultural layers awaken a connection to sacred spaces and ancestral memory. Here, I feel close to the natural rhythms and the silence necessary for creation. Georgia has also offered me a space of quiet freedom, where I can explore and grow as an artist, teaching others and continuing my own visual journey. The colours, textures, and spiritual energy of this land often find echoes in my works.
You often mention artists like Klimt and Monet. What do you connect with in their work?
The works of Klimt and Monet inspire me in very different ways. From Monet, I draw a sense of light, atmosphere, and the emotional depth of fleeting natural moments — elements I aim to capture in my pastels and landscapes. His art reminds me of the beauty in impermanence. Klimt, on the other hand, fascinates me with his decorative richness, sacred symbols, and the divine portrayal of the feminine. His depiction of women as spiritual and symbolic beings resonates deeply with my exploration of feminine archetypes and inner light. I don't imitate their work, but their visual languages and energies shape my artistic vision profoundly.
Golden Silence, digital, 2025 © Natalia Kaminskaya
Ukha (Bearer of the Serpent Light), digital, 2025 © Natalia Kaminskaya
Can you tell us about your creative process? How does a new artwork typically start for you?
My creative process often begins with a feeling or image that flashes in my mind — a fleeting emotion, a colour, a symbol, or a fragment of a dream. I try to catch that sensation and build around it. Sometimes, I sketch by hand, and sometimes, I dive directly into digital work, especially when the idea feels vivid and urgent. The mood and story come first, then I choose the medium that fits — be it pastel, acrylic, or digital. I also gather visual references, but mostly rely on my intuition. Each piece is a dialogue between inner vision and outer execution. I work in layers, returning to the piece several times, refining the light, atmosphere, and emotion.
How do you approach blending classical influences with more contemporary or digital elements?
For me, blending classical and contemporary elements is about creating a dialogue between timeless beauty and modern expression. I'm deeply inspired by the decorative richness of Klimt, the light of Monet, and the elegance of classical composition. I carry this into my work through attention to detail, symbolic imagery, and a sense of harmony. At the same time, I embrace the freedom and experimentation that digital tools allow — bold colours, layering, and unexpected combinations. It's important for me not to copy but to transform: to let the classical roots grow into something alive and relevant today. This fusion gives voice to something that is both familiar and new.
In addition to making art, you also teach. How does sharing your practice with others affect your own work?
Teaching is like opening a door — for my students and for myself. When I share my knowledge, I revisit the wonder of discovery. The questions they ask, the way they see colours, their fearless experimentation — it all reminds me of the essence of art. It becomes a dialogue: not just me guiding them, but us walking the creative path together. Their energy feeds my imagination. In a way, teaching renews me — it keeps my heart open and my hands ready to create with honesty and joy.
The Guardian of Bloom, digital, 2025 © Natalia Kaminskaya
The Solar Veil, digital, 2025 © Natalia Kaminskaya
You’ve shown your work internationally and digitally. How has that expanded your vision as an artist?
It gave me the sense that borders are fluid, and that art can truly speak directly to the heart — regardless of country or language. Through international exhibitions, I've felt how my inner visions become part of a global dialogue, where each viewer sees something personal but feels something universal.
The digital format gave me flexibility and the freedom to experiment. It allowed me to create new visual languages, blend traditional motifs with contemporary technology, and still resonate with people in all corners of the world.
This expansion of horizons made me braver, more conscious, and gave me the sense that my art is not just a personal expression, but a bridge connecting cultures and inner states.
And lastly, what are your plans for the future? What are you currently working on, or what themes are you excited to explore next?
My future as an artist is about going deeper into the search for forms and meanings that resonate with the soul. I feel increasingly like a conduit for inner states — through light, nature, archetypes, and silence.
I'm currently working on a series that are not only visual but also energetic — paintings that feel like portals into inner landscapes. I'm inspired by themes of rebirth, intuition, feminine power, and our connection to the world.
I also want to expand my practice into spatial art, working with large-scale installations and environments that respond to the viewer and the space itself. In particular, I dream of collaborating with large hotels — as an artist-designer, creating paintings, sculptures, or atmospheric décor that transforms interiors.
Another exciting direction I plan to explore is illustration — both for children's books and stories set in fantastical worlds. I want to bring these imaginative universes to life through visual storytelling, combining my artistic style with narrative depth.
Ultimately, I hope my art continues to travel and connect — taking part in international projects and reminding people that art speaks to what is most essential in us all.
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.
