Natali Antonovich’s creative journey is steeped in a deep connection to nature, spirituality, and the passage of time. She draws inspiration from simple, profound moments, as reflected in one of her early memories: “There was a beautiful Orchid growing in my room. Flowers seemed to fly up from its branched roots, like little birds or stars… I saw how they wanted to fly… but they were held by a thin, strong stem. One day, I see a withered flower falling off its stem… Then I thought that the flower’s dream had come true, ‘flight only after death.’ Then I wanted to paint a picture… about a moment of happiness.”
This personal vision captures Antonovich’s desire to explore life’s fleeting beauty, the tension between permanence and impermanence, and the quiet moments of reflection that often precede artistic creation. Her work is meditative, offering viewers a sense of peace and introspection while navigating the complexities of time, presence, and absence.
Eternity (Oil on linen canvas, 2003)
Part of her “Eternity” series, Eternity stands as one of Antonovich’s more contemplative works. The painting evokes a sense of cyclical movement, a concept central to the artist’s view of existence. She describes the piece as “being touched by a way, remembering yesterday, I am going forward, performing a circle. Your spark… is always with me.”
The composition reflects this constant motion—symbolizing both the past and future converging in a single moment. The painting doesn’t impose itself on the viewer but rather invites quiet contemplation. The soft brushstrokes seem to stretch beyond the canvas, suggesting an endless continuation that reflects the theme of eternal connection. The muted colors of the piece, combined with the movement in the brushwork, give it a dreamlike quality, as if the viewer is witnessing something that exists just beyond reach—a spark, a memory, or a feeling that persists even as time moves on.
This painting captures Antonovich’s ability to blend the seen and the unseen, the physical and the spiritual, into a moment of deep reflection. It offers a sense of permanence, even as it addresses the constant change inherent in life.
Out of Time… (Oil on linen canvas, 2007)
Out of Time… from the series “Who are you?” is a study in contradiction. “We are near and we are far and it has always been like this… There is no time… and we are and we are not…” Antonovich’s words offer a glimpse into the philosophical undertones that shape this work.
The painting’s duality is mirrored in its technique, where opposing elements are held in balance. On one hand, the warm tones provide a sense of closeness and intimacy, while the cooler shades suggest distance and isolation. There is a push and pull to the composition—where figures seem to drift in and out of focus, as if they exist both inside and outside of time.
Antonovich’s brushwork here is more defined, with elements that are almost geometric in their structure, suggesting a moment frozen in time but not fully anchored. The absence of traditional time markers in the painting encourages viewers to consider their own relationship with presence and absence, connection and separation. Out of Time… speaks to the tension between being seen and unseen, and the ambiguity of human relationships, both with others and with ourselves.
Diamond Lightning (Oil on linen canvas, 2020)
The final piece, Diamond Lightning, is part of the “Eternity” series and marks a return to themes of permanence and transformation. Antonovich brings a sense of vibrancy and urgency to this painting, which she executed in 2020. “Diamond Lightning” suggests something powerful and fleeting, a sudden burst of energy that leaves a lasting impact.
The stark contrast in colors—bright whites and sharp blues against a darker background—immediately grabs the viewer’s attention. There is an intensity in the brushwork that feels like it could crack the canvas open. The title, Diamond Lightning, reflects the hard, untouchable nature of a diamond combined with the fleeting, electric nature of lightning—a duality that echoes Antonovich’s earlier work. The lightning, though momentary, leaves a lasting impression, much like a flash of insight or a revelation.
This piece brings to mind the ephemerality of existence, the sharp moments of clarity we experience throughout life. The use of light and shadow in Diamond Lightning pulls the viewer into a moment that feels both intense and transcendent, as though the canvas itself is alive with energy.
Through these three works—Eternity, Out of Time…, and Diamond Lightning—Natali Antonovich crafts a quiet, yet profound exploration of existence. Her art moves between the personal and the universal, the physical and the intangible. There is a stillness in her work, one that invites viewers to pause and reflect, while also acknowledging the unstoppable forward motion of time. In her paintings, moments of happiness are captured and suspended, much like the orchid in her memory—always yearning to fly, always bound to the present, until it is finally released.
