Elmira Shemsedinova is an artist, painter and monumentalist. Born in Kiev in the family of the famous Ukrainian architect Irfan Gafarovich Shemsedinov. In 2013, she graduated from the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture, the faculty of painting, and studied at the Workshop of Monumental Painting by Professor M. A. Storozhenko. She lives and works in Kiev.

“Portrait of study” is a series of paintings depicting landscapes. Their uniqueness lies in the fact that they are accurate reproductions of fast watercolor etudes a la prima in large formats.

“I always wanted to draw the viewer's attention to things not remarkable at first sight. These preparatory quick sketches from nature that I draw in a sketchbook are very important for me. Etudes are the artist’s hidden training from the public. Often they are much lively and more direct than large paintings created in the studio as a result of long work. They keep the individual touch and authentic techniques of the artist.

No matter how the artist strives for realism, he will always depict its own idea of reality. Studies are the evidence of such a subjective and direct vision. What interests me as an artist is the process itself of the representation of the visible nature, through the prism of the individual perception.

The study carries the first impression of what is represented. There is always an element of chance, sincerity and , which can be lost in long process artwork. By zooming in a large painting a small watercolor sketch, I emphasize that this factor of chance can be aesthetically perfect. In the same context, I am interested in comparing the two realities - the reality of wildlife compared to the reality of paintings. The landscape on canvas is opposed to the backdrop of a living landscape. The imitation of a watercolor painting becomes a picture that, in in turn, is an imitation of wildlife.”

Artwork list