Ekaterina Popova is a Russian-born painter whose oil works move between interior spaces and the natural world, exploring mood, light, and the quiet emotional charge of the everyday. After earning her BFA in Fine Art from Kutztown University in 2011, she has built a studio practice drawn to the sensory, the atmospheric, and the imaginative.
Her paintings draw loosely from impressionism, expressionism and magical realism, and are informed by painters including Pierre Bonnard and Henri Matisse, whose use of color and pattern as emotional language resonates throughout her work. Rich surface, unexpected color relationships, and a sense of intimate presence are hallmarks of her practice.
Her work has been exhibited at Cohle Gallery in Paris and Menorca, The Painting Center in New York, James Oliver Gallery, Paradigm Gallery, The Untitled Space, and in group exhibitions across the United States and abroad. Publications including Colossal, Beautiful Bizarre, American Art Collector, Flow Magazine, The Jealous Curator, and The Philadelphia Inquirer have featured her work and practice.
Popova has undertaken residencies at Centre Pompadour in France, NES Residency in Iceland, and the Skopelos Foundation for the Arts in Greece. She is also the co-author of The Complete Smartist Guide and The Creative Business Handbook.
Photo by Helena Raju
Artist Statement
My work explores identity and belonging through the painting of interiors and landscapes, inspired by my experience as an immigrant and driven by a desire to create safe spaces for myself and others. I use my painted images as vessels to navigate my love of light and color. In my early days, I was captivated by interiors, a fascination that continues on in my work. This interest in domestic spaces started as a way for me to reflect on my upbringing in Russia, but it eventually expanded to the exploration of the overarching concept of “home” and what it signifies to me now. As an immigrant, the question of belonging profoundly affected me, guiding me to create paintings that have enabled connections with people worldwide, united in our pursuit to feel safe and welcome.
Inspired by the Fauvists, Peter Doig, Bonnard, and the fresh Impressionists, I am deeply interested in the way art can transform our emotions. Within my works, you can glimpse images of my home, moments captured while traveling, and my unending explorations of nature – humanity's true home. I hone in on the subtle tones, lighting, and mood of each location to capture the emotions I associate with the space, amplifying the colors to craft a dream-like image.