Hidden Styles
Natalia has exhibited professionally since graduating from the Stroganoff Academy of Art in Moscow in 1995, where she earned qualifications as a Master of Art Criticism and Designer. Early travels through Asia deeply influenced her artistic vision, eventually leading her to relocate to Vancouver, where she now lives and works.
Rooted in the traditions of classical Russian art and inspired by the rich symbolism of Russian iconography, Natalia’s work blends timeless techniques with Western contemporary concepts. Seeking “an elegant harmony between the human body and the Universe,” she brings a modern sensibility to figurative painting. Natalia specializes in custom oil paintings and murals for distinctive interiors and exhibits her work in galleries internationally.
A Contemporary Figurative Practice
Sketched in Snowlight
Natalia Vetrova’s recent work is rooted in the everyday - moments of stillness, gestures caught in passing, and reimagined on canvas as quiet scenes that feel both familiar and strangely suspended in time. Painted in soft, washed tones, her large-scale snow landscapes recall the atmosphere of vintage alpine posters, but with a dreamlike quality that invites the viewer to step inside.
Working between Vancouver and Whistler, Vetrova draws inspiration from the dramatic light and vastness of the Coast Mountains. Her figures, skiers pausing mid-movement, characters lost in thought, become placeholders for the viewer, offering a space to wander, remember, or project one’s own story.
In these works, memory and imagination coexist. Vetrova creates images that hover gently between past and present, much like the feeling of watching an old film, not for its narrative, but for the mood it evokes, the way it opens a window into another kind of time.
Harmony of Form and Universe
Containment and Flow
Set within expansive alpine landscapes, Vetrova's work capture quiet, in-between moments. Figures turn away, shield their faces, or pause mid-gesture, leaving space for the viewer to step in and complete the story. There’s a softness to the atmosphere and a stillness that contrasts with the scale of the mountains, creating an intimate sense of reflection. Each piece feels like a moment briefly held.
“I’m looking for an elegant harmony between a human body and the Universe. It's an exceptionally contemporary approach to the time honoured figurative painting traditions”
Natalia Vetrova
Natalia Vetrova
Collection
Recently Sold Pieces (Commissions Available)
