Katerina Belkina creates self-portraits inspired by the geniuses of the visual arts
Russian artist steps into the shoes of the great masters of painting
The artist's fame is growing rapidly, thanks to her recreations of the aesthetics and inner worlds of figures such as Picasso, Gauguin, Van Gogh, and Lempicka.
A very simple question to ask, but very difficult to answer, was the trigger for the work that catapulted Russian artist Katerina Belkina to international stardom. The question can be summarized like this: What did Vincent van Gogh feel when he was creating his self-portraits?
To find the answer, the artist produced a digital self-portrait in which, alongside imitating the painter's hairstyle and facial expression, she also evoked the fiery color palette and vibrant brushstrokes of the Dutch genius.
Of course, the woman's work did not stop there, because after the highly satisfying results obtained from the first experiment, she began producing an extensive gallery of images in which—always adopting the dual role of stepping into the shoes and minds of figures such as Frida Kahlo, Paul Gauguin, Tamara de Lempicka, Egon Schiele, Pablo Picasso, and Gustav Klimt.
Gathered under the title *Paint*, the compositions stand out because, rather than being remakes of famous paintings, they function as very particular inventions that invite viewers to discover the traces of the masters referenced in each one of them. This proposal immediately received an endless wave of applause and turned the artist into one of the most interesting personalities to emerge in recent times.
"In this series, I took the basic instrument, my body, and under the inspiration of the great masters, I used their techniques and my experience so that both things could merge into one," explained Belkina, who often says that this group of works constitutes "a kind of gift" to her favorite creators.
"I am overwhelmed by the desire not only to imitate the original technique but to learn what motivated each genius, what inspired each one of them. All the materials and textures seen in the works were painted by me in oil, and some things were drawn with pencil or charcoal, then processed in Photoshop," she adds.
Born in 1974 in Samara, a city located in the European part of Russia, the artist moved to Berlin at the end of 2013, where she continues to live and work. She is currently focused on preparing her first book, which will gather the highlights of her acclaimed artistic work. The book is expected to be published later this year by the German publisher Kerber.
"Now I need a writer who is interested in helping me finalize this project. The text in the book will be in English and German," says Belkina, whose energies in recent days have been monopolized by her daughter Mia, who was born this past Sunday.
"At first, when I started making the *Paint* series, I wanted to explore both externally and internally, but then the search led me to something bigger, and I started investigating my own sources of inspiration," recalls the photographer and painter.
"The idea of using myself as a model appeared from the beginning, but when I wanted to step into the shoes of these great artists to trace the process of creating their masterpieces, I began a process of learning about myself," reflects Belkina.
