but also techniques like cloisonné enamel. My education continued at the University of Technology and Design in St. Petersburg, where I deeply engaged with artistic practices, attended art history classes at the Hermitage, and participated in student competitions. When I established my couture atelier and art studio in Moscow, I gained new skills and experiences. All these events have led me to where I am today as an artist. Creating objects with my own hands has always been and remains important to me. At some point, I fully transitioned from design to art.

 - What or who has the greatest influence on you or is a source of inspiration?

The most significant influence on my creative path comes from our childhood. My upbringing was in a small but remarkable city, an architectural reserve in the Russian North. Veliky Ustyug is a gem, miraculously preserved from destruction by time, war, and social change. Magnificent white stone temples and merchant houses, unparalleled gilded baroque iconostases from the Catherine era, numerous workshops with the secrets of craftsmen—these were the surroundings of my childhood. Even now, I always measure the quality of art by the level of craftsmanship where my heart and artist’s eye were shaped.

- How has your style changed over time?

Does my style change over time? Rather, it manifests like a photograph on special paper, crystallizing like a stalactite growing from the depths of the unknown. Style does not fundamentally change but is refined through constant daily work and analysis of what I do, remaining very demanding of myself.

Artistic Process:

- Could you describe your typical creative process from idea to finished piece?

My typical creative process involves constant observation of my feelings and signs in the real world, the interplay of the real and imagined. Sometimes, it takes time for a material image to form, as all the particles come together into one idea, object, or complete artistic statement. Other times, a single catalyzing moment can make everything fall into a clear and understandable structure in my mind. One thing I can say for sure is that I have a clear vision of the object I am creating in my mind. It seems to already exist in another reality, in imagination, and I simply approach it, examine it, and then bring it into our material world.

- Do you have any rituals or daily routines that help you get into a creative mindset?

I have a very structured daily and weekly routine. I work from 10 a.m. every day until 6 p.m., except Sundays. Strangely, my dogs set a certain rhythm to my life—morning walks, daytime, and evening. These dependent beings require commitments, which sets the rhythm for my daily movement. I dislike the state of hustle and urgency, as it kills the enjoyment of contemplation, immersion, and emergence. A schedule is one of the important pillars of my life.

- How do you decide when a work is finished?

This is an interesting question… As I mentioned earlier, I see the completed object clearly in my imagination. I can rotate it, view it from all angles, and compare it. If this image satisfies me, I say "Done" and do not touch the object further. However, new thoughts or forms often arise during the work, and I sketch or describe them. Later, I might return and try to create something new on the same theme.

Themes and Concepts:

- What themes or concepts do you explore in your work? Why are they important to you?

I am most interested in the human being as a construct of psychological patterns.

Is it possible to break free from the pressure of habits, character, personal, and societal experiences? How does the universal program of humanity affect the life of an individual, and vice versa, how to feel one's proportions, feelings in the world? To understand if freedom of choice is real?

- Are there recurring motifs or symbols in your work? What do they represent?

My special symbol has become the Megaphone—at all my exhibitions and projects, I create an acoustic object and dream of emphasizing this accent. Perhaps because I consider music to be the greatest form of art. But I am not a musician and cannot express my thoughts and feelings in notes; I can only touch the sound of music through the creation of acoustic art objects. By transforming sound from modern gadgets through the harmonization of form via the megaphone, I hope to bring more happiness and joy into people’s lives. I like to think that those who experience this with me and enjoy the sound are enriched.

Technique and Medium:

- What techniques and mediums do you prefer to work with? Why?

I enjoy sculpting with a stone mass I invented a few years ago; it calms me, and I feel a strong need for this work. But I also enjoy working with graphics, creating videos, and capturing moments in photography. I hope to return to textiles, as I know so much about it, perhaps too much… I am capable of mastering any medium required by a particular project. I will choose the medium that best reflects the feelings or thoughts I wish to express.

- Have you experimented with different mediums or styles? If so, what was that experience like?

Changing styles is difficult—it's like an inherent structure that guides your hands and eyes. It's impossible to change oneself fundamentally. However, trying to transform my objects into different artistic stylistic hints is an interesting experience. For example, I am currently observing the lines of late Modernism, the plasticity of architectural elements from that era. I am seeking connections with my analyzers and receptors. Technology has evolved so much that it allows for the most fantastic ideas.

Challenges and Achievements:

- What are the biggest challenges you have faced as an artist?

I am a happy person, as others have always recognized and loved me. But the biggest challenge is oneself. Until you allow yourself to breathe freely and stop building impenetrable thickets in your fantasies, you cannot achieve anything. The most difficult thing is overcoming the thresholds of doubt and fear within oneself.

- Can you tell us about a moment in your career that you consider a significant milestone or achievement?

It was the moment when I realized I could no longer combine working at the Nataly Katval Atelier with living as an artist, Nataly Katval. I had to choose—art demands to be treated with the same fervor as a process and constant state, not tolerating distractions as a demanding lover. My Atelier was a well-established process with good financial stability. But I could not give up my dream of becoming simply an artist, my path. It was perhaps the boldest decision of my life.

Exhibitions and Audience:

- How do you feel about exhibiting your work in galleries like RARARES? What do you think viewers will take away from your art?

Once I finish a piece and it is open to others’ eyes, it ceases to belong to me. The thoughts and impressions it evokes in people, in viewers, belong to each individual. I cannot influence that. Everything I do, I do because I cannot help but do it.

- How important are audience reactions and feedback to you as an artist?

I remember showing a large black meteor vase from the "Anatomy of Melancholy" series to a gallerist and hearing strange words: "unusual, unclear, black—doesn’t sell well…" I was literally devastated by this statement. A few days later, in another space, the piece was purchased on first sight and for a good price. After that, I understood that presenting and selling art is a matter for those who love and feel it themselves. This is important.

As a creator, I need to focus on my inner voice and hear my unique music, then bring it into a material art object. Sometimes even new things that emerge scare me. It requires a certain tolerance for one’s development and growth.

Current and Future Projects:

- What projects are you currently working on? Are there any upcoming exhibitions or collaborations?

I am working on several projects, some in objects, others in sketches. I can say a few words about the one closest in terms of realization. It is a group of sculptural objects inspired by childhood memories. Unfortunately, events happening in my country desecrate the memory of my childhood, and I want to save it, preserve it as a precious memory… to wash it clean from the dirt of propaganda slogans and place it in my memory box for special, most valuable items. I use stone mass, elements from carpet scraps, and waxed parchment. Stone, scissors, paper, in a word…

- Where do you think your artistic practice will lead you in the next few years?

I hope to create an absolute art piece, a "Gesamtkunstwerk," a space where sculpture, video art, and music will be presented so that visitors to such an exhibition can experience and live through a specific experience. It will certainly be a reminder from Love. Of the importance of this word in our fragile world.

Personal Information:

- What emotions or messages do you strive to convey through your art?

The most important talent of a person is to be happy. Everything I do is about this. And about Love.

-How does your cultural or personal background influence your work?

Someone I know often repeats the saying: it's important to know where you came from. It really is very important. The way your parents showed you the world. Either you fight against it all your life, or you try to reclaim it. I had a good childhood; my mother always believed in and supported me in any creative endeavors, and my father taught me to be bold, not to fear learning new crafts, and to solve any engineering problems. Books, the city, family, animals, travel, nature—these are all the foundation of my strength. I never tire of thanking God for this.

Advice for Aspiring Artists:

 - What advice would you give to those who are just starting out in the art world?

I am also an aspiring artist; it feels like I am always starting—each project is a beginning. But it is always important to be sincere. That, in my view, is the most important thing.

- How do you balance artistic expression with commercial success?

I am happily fortunate that functional art has chosen me. It always occupies a fine line between necessity and luxury. But when I create, I think the least about the object as a business item. Art objects made with maximum dedication and honesty will always find their admirers.

Influence and Legacy:

-Looking ahead, what legacy do you hope to leave through your art?

It's a divine arrangement of things. No one knows what will remain after us, I mean, on a universal level. But I think there will be memories of me in my objects, words, and notes for my loved ones. But right now, for creativity, this is not so important. No one wants to think that they are also destined for the oblivion of time…

-How do you assess the success of your creative career?

My personal success is feeling that I am happy doing what I do. That God gives me the strength, inspiration, and means to continue. That is success!

Thank you,
Natalie