Bidspirit auction | Natalia Anatolyevna Popovich (b. 1975).

Natalia Anatolyevna Popovich (b. 1975). Little Elephant. 2025. - Oil on canvas. 80 × 90 cm. Natalia Anatolyevna Popovich (born 11 September 1975, Vladivostok, Russia) is a contemporary Russian painter, educator, and professor. From 2004 to 2026, she served as Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts at the Far Eastern State Institute of Arts, where she also held the position of Professor and Head of Studio. Since 2005, she has been a member of the Union of Artists of Russia. From 2015 to 2026, she served on the Board of the Primorye Regional Branch of the Union of Artists of Russia. Since 2021, she has been Professor in the Department of Painting, Drawing, and Decorative and Applied Arts at the Far Eastern State Institute of Arts. Little Elephant is an intimate still life distinguished by its expressive contrasts of tone and colour. The composition is built around objects of Eastern origin, presented in a decorative arrangement that appears to have been observed within the natural domestic environment of a person connected to the cultures of the southern and eastern seas. Despite its clear figurative and easel-painting character, the work is structured through a distinctly Fauvist approach to colour. A vivid green—warm, saturated, and reminiscent of the first spring grass—becomes the compositional centre of the painting. This powerful chromatic accent creates depth and visual movement into the background while simultaneously emphasizing the principal subject: a statuette of a Thai elephant. Through the interplay of colour and form, the artist transforms an everyday arrangement of objects into a vibrant and emotionally charged pictorial statement. Natalia Popovich has participated in numerous Russian and international exhibitions, including solo exhibitions. Her works are held in museum and gallery collections in Russia, South Korea, China, Poland, and Germany. Selected Awards and Honours 2012 — Commendation of the Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation 2012 — Commendation of the Russian Academy of Arts 2015 — Commendation of the Governor of Primorsky Krai 2015 — Gold Medal of the Union of Artists of Russia 2016 — Commendation of the Union of Artists of Russia 2019 — Commendation of the Russian Academy of Arts 2021 — Silver Medal of the Union of Artists of Russia 2023 — Commendation of the Legislative Assembly of Primorsky Krai 2025 — Commendation of the Mayor of Vladivostok