Evgeniya Zolotareva: Color, Shape, and Freedom.

The questions are asked by Anželika Sitniková, co-owner of Original Gallery.

At the Original Gallery in the heart of Prague, colors meet emotions, shapes meet stories, and each painting opens up space for personal interpretation. In this exclusive interview with artist Evgeniya Zolotareva, we reveal how her abstract paintings come to life, what inspires her, and why freedom in painting is just as important as the dialogue with the viewer. Get ready for a journey beyond the boundaries of form, where every brushstroke tells its own story.

Evgeniya Zolotareva is a contemporary artist living in Brno whose artistic journey is steeped in the rich tradition of abstract art. Her passion for creativity began early, culminating in her graduation from art school and subsequently earning a Master of Arts degree from a renowned university in 2006. Her canvases are a living breath: shapes stretch beyond the edges of the canvas, colors vibrate, and textures breathe. No frames, no rules—only freedom. Evgeniya’s works are part of private collections in France, Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, the U.S., Slovakia, and Russia. Two years ago, she captivated audiences in Vienna (STAINER Gallery) and Miami (ART BASEL Art Week). Her voice has been featured in *The World of Interiors* and *Vogue House* (UK). Today, her art is an invitation on a journey: through color, texture, and form—to the very essence of the soul.

EVGENIE, WHEN DID YOU FIRST REALIZE THAT ART WAS YOUR PATH?

I’ll start with a quote: “The best path to success is to fall in love with what you do.” I fell in love with painting when I was just a child, and back then I didn’t yet think of it as a consciously chosen path. I simply followed my heart. This was gradually followed by art school and later a university of art and design, where this path began to take shape and develop into the life I live today.

EVGENIE, HOW DID STUDYING AT AN ART SCHOOL AND EARNING A MASTER OF ARTS DEGREE AFFECT YOU?

Studying at art school was like opening a door to a new world for me. It wasn’t just about technical skills, but mainly about the ability to see reality through different eyes and find my own truth within it. I learned to understand that art isn’t just a painting on a canvas, but a way to communicate with people without words.

Earning my Master of Arts degree wasn’t just an academic milestone for me; it was more of an inner transformation. That process taught me discipline, the courage to take risks, and humility in the face of the creative process itself. It was a time when my hobby became my profession and when I truly accepted that the path of an artist is my life’s journey.

HAS THERE BEEN A PERSON OR EVENT IN YOUR LIFE THAT HAS HAD A STRONG INFLUENCE ON YOUR DEVELOPMENT AS AN ARTIST?

Yes, there have been moments and people in my life who have shaped me. However, the greatest influence on me has been my family—my parents, who have supported me in drawing since childhood and never tried to steer me toward a “more practical” path. That gave me the freedom to grow naturally and to believe that art has value in and of itself.

Another powerful inspiration was the first major exhibition I visited as a student. That feeling—standing before the works of the masters and realizing that paintings can communicate across the centuries—awakened in me a deep desire to create and find my own voice. It was the moment I understood that painting can be a dialogue between myself and the world.

WHAT IS YOUR MAIN SOURCE OF INSPIRATION TODAY?

My main source of inspiration is literally everything that surrounds me. Sometimes it’s a combination of colors I glimpse in nature or in the city; other times, it’s an emotion I’ve experienced that transforms itself into a visual image. Traveling and discovering new places also have a very strong impact on me; every region, culture, and moment of encounter with people opens up new perspectives and motifs for me. For me, inspiration is actually a constant dialogue with the world around me and the world within me.

WHAT IS YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS LIKE, FROM THE INITIAL IDEA TO THE FINISHED PAINTING?

My creative process is always a bit of a mystery to me. I often feel as though the painting creates itself, and I am merely a medium guiding the brushstrokes or the movements of the palette knife. I work with a layering technique, building up layers of paint and texture, and as a result, a piece can transform up to five times from its original form during the process. I’m constantly seeking balance in composition and color combinations, observing the effects created by overlapping layers and how the colors blend together. The title of the painting doesn’t come until the very end, when I feel that the canvas has finally found its voice.

WHAT ROLE DO COLORS AND SHAPES PLAY IN YOUR ART?

For me, colors and shapes are the language through which paintings speak. Every shade carries its own emotion; it can soothe, provoke, or evoke memories. Shapes, in turn, create rhythm and structure, allowing the colors to express themselves fully. In abstract art, neither colors nor shapes have a single, definitive meaning, and that is precisely where their power lies: they allow the viewer to find their own story and resonance within the painting.

DO YOU SEE ABSTRACTION MORE AS FREEDOM OR AS A CHALLENGE?

For me, abstraction is above all freedom—freedom of expression—that does not bind me to an exact depiction of reality, but allows me to express emotions, thoughts, and inner states without words. In abstraction, there are no boundaries or rules, only an open space for finding one’s own language. At the same time, it presents a challenge: to find a balance between spontaneity and harmony, between chaos and order. It is precisely in this tension that magic arises, allowing every viewer to discover something entirely personal in the painting.

EVGENIE, WHAT WILL VISITORS BE ABLE TO SEE AND EXPERIENCE AT YOUR NOVEMBER EXHIBITION AT THE ORIGINAL GALLERY?

At the November exhibition “Beyond the Boundaries of Form” at the Original Gallery, visitors will see a collection of abstract paintings in which colors and shapes hover on the border between order and freedom. Each painting is a different attempt to transcend the traditional perception of form and open the door to personal interpretation.

My goal is for visitors not only to see the paintings, but also to feel them—to let themselves be drawn into the interplay of layers, color contrasts, and hidden structures. The exhibition is an invitation to pause for a moment and let yourself be carried away into your own inner world, where shapes cease to be boundaries and become a path.

ARE THERE ANY PIECES AMONG THOSE ON DISPLAY THAT ARE PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT TO YOU PERSONALLY?

Yes, definitely—there are several pieces on display that are very important to me personally. One of them is “Memories of Rain.” I was inspired by an event from a single summer when my family and I found ourselves in the middle of a heavy downpour. We were soaked to the bone and took shelter under a tree, huddling close together, and in that moment I felt that we were one body, stronger than ever before, protecting each other from the cold and the rain. After the storm, the sun came out again, and what remained in my memory was precisely that sense of unity and strength, not the storm itself. The painting is imbued with these very memories. Another work is “Rumba Loca,” which was born out of my love for dance and movement. It is a painting full of wild rhythms, vibrant energy, and the joy of life. For me, the rumba is a symbol of spontaneity and inspiration, a source of inexhaustible positive vibrations.

The painting “Amazing Fusion” is also important to me because the color blue holds a special place in my work. I have many works in which it dominates, and this painting blends it with other tones into a harmonious whole. The work was also part of the “Dreams” exhibition at the UXVALGOCHEZ Gallery in Barcelona, which held special significance for me.

The work “Unframed Time,” on display at the Port Gallery in Barcelona, is also very personal. Time is an endless theme for me; I’m constantly thinking about it, and I’m fascinated by its relativity. Can it even be truly measured? People try to subject it to a system, to squeeze it into a framework, but time is boundless. Sometimes it flows quickly; other times, it drags on. It is both fleeting and eternal; it exists only from moment to moment, from one memory to the next. Through memories and visions of the future, we actually travel through time, constantly pushing its boundaries. This painting is my personal dialogue with this infinite paradox.

EVGENIE, HOW DOES THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXHIBIT IN THE CENTER OF PRAGUE MAKE YOU FEEL?

The opportunity to exhibit in the center of Prague evokes very strong and personal emotions in me. For me, Prague is a magical city with a unique energy—both historical and contemporary. It is a place where culture, art, and a spiritual atmosphere intertwine, and you can feel it with every step you take. I see exhibiting here as both a great honor and a responsibility. It is a moment when I can share my inner world in a space that, in and of itself, carries deep meaning and tradition.

EVGENIE, YOUR WORKS HAVE ALREADY BEEN EXHIBITED IN VARIOUS COUNTRIES, FROM VIENNA TO MIAMI. HOW DOES THE CZECH AUDIENCE DIFFER FROM INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCES?

I’ve noticed that audiences abroad aren’t afraid to interact with the artist. There, people view a conversation about the artwork as a natural part of the exhibition experience—for them, it’s not pressure to buy, but an opportunity to gain a deeper insight into the artist’s process and ideas. Artistic self-representation is understood abroad as part of the profession, not as an eccentricity. This is gradually changing in the Czech Republic as well, but I still sense a difference; international audiences are generally more open to dialogue and perceive the artist not only through their work but also on a personal level.

WHAT MOMENT FROM INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITIONS STOOD OUT MOST IN YOUR MEMORY?

I can’t be at every international exhibition in person, but there’s one moment from Vienna I’ll never forget. I walked into the hall, and for a moment my breath caught in my throat; my paintings stood there before me like beings with a life of their own. The space gave them new power, and I felt as if I were hearing their true voice for the first time. It was a mix of surprise, joy, and pride all at once; I realized that my work could speak to a foreign audience without words and that a painting can build a bridge between people who have never met before.

BEING FEATURED IN VOGUE HOUSE AND THE WORLD OF INTERIORS IS A SIGNIFICANT ACCOLADE. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU PERSONALLY?

When an international magazine reached out to me, to be honest, my jaw literally dropped. It was a huge surprise for me and, at the same time, confirmation that my work can resonate even beyond the walls of a gallery. Being featured in *Vogue House* and *The World of Interiors* represents not only prestigious recognition for me, but also an important milestone on my journey— a moment when I realized that my paintings can exist in contexts other than just exhibitions, and that they have the ability to reach a broader and internationally diverse audience. For me, this is both an encouragement and a commitment to keep moving forward and seek new ways to share my work.

WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU WANT TO CONVEY TO YOUR AUDIENCE THROUGH YOUR PAINTINGS?

The message I want to convey through my paintings is, above all, openness—the opportunity to pause, immerse oneself in colors and shapes, and discover something personal within them. I don’t want to dictate to the viewer what they should see or feel; rather, I offer them space for a personal experience and free interpretation. I believe that every painting can serve as a mirror of the viewer’s inner world, and that through it, they may discover an emotion, a memory, or a thought that they may have carried within themselves for a long time. My paintings are an invitation to dialogue—a quiet conversation between my world and the viewer’s world.

DO YOU HAVE YOUR OWN DEFINITION OF BEAUTY IN ART?

My personal definition of beauty in art is harmony. It’s not just about the harmony of colors and shapes on the canvas, but also about the balance between emotion and reason, spontaneity and order, chaos and calm. For me, beauty in art emerges when a painting begins to feel natural and balanced, when it embodies both tension and relaxation at the same time. Such harmony can speak to the viewer regardless of their experience or knowledge; all one needs to do is let it work its magic.

DO YOU OBSERVE HOW YOUR WORK HAS EVOLVED OVER TIME?

Yes, definitely. I see my creative development very clearly. In the past, I often strove for perfection and rushed to achieve a result, but today I feel much more calm and confident with every brushstroke. I enjoy the process itself and every moment spent at the canvas. I let time flow naturally and don’t rush; I know that the painting will take shape when it’s ready. This shift has brought me freedom and a deeper joy in creating.

EVGENIE, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE VISITORS TO YOUR EXHIBITION TO TAKE AWAY WITH THEM—A FEELING, AN IDEA, OR SOME INSPIRATION?

I hope that visitors will take away ideas above all else from my exhibition—not ready-made answers, but inspiration for their own reflection. For me, art isn’t just a visual impression, but also a path to inner dialogue; every painting can raise a question, bring back a forgotten memory, or awaken an emotion that was waiting to be named. If a viewer leaves feeling that the work has resonated with something deeper within them and continues to reflect on it, then I have fulfilled the purpose of my art.

Thank you, Evgenia, for this candid interview, and I hope that readers will find in her paintings the same strength and peace that she herself seeks in them. Anželika