As true as this statement could be from perpetually tortured, angst-ridden archtypical artiste, these words, spoken in a deep Russian accent, come from an artist with a joy for life, Anna Razumovskaya, and convey in the simplest form, what her work is, and what she is: both effortless and lighthearted, sensual, optimistic and beautiful. To appreciate her art is to appreciate the essence of this artist.

A painting of fluid tranquility, expressed in the form of an elegant and graceful woman in repose with her instrument, brings to the viewer both an impression of the lingering notes in the air, and the sensual beckoning of female strength and vulnerability. This is the allure of Anna’s work: she is at the heart, an artist who loves to explore juxtapositions of art and emotion, strength and fragility, sensuality and innocence. “But, I am not so serious as that!” she laughs. “I love to paint things that are beautiful – things that make me happy.”

On a historical and philosophical note, people can argue that perceptions of beauty are both universal and informed by our culture, but there is no doubt that artists have been trying to encapsulate its essence since art emerged as a form of self-expression. With her classic figurative forms expressed through a lens of a very modern aesthetic, Anna magically captures the lyrical romanticism of renaissance portraiture while creating art that is completely modern and original, a true reflection of herself as a person, and an artist.

Vibrant in both colour and subject, Anna’s art speaks to people viscerally and personally, igniting past memories and inviting reflection. The work manifests an ideal world, neither the past nor the future, and is partly a response to Anna’s romantic family history, Communist Russian upbringing, along with her love of fashion, music and dance. In her work, Anna creates a personal Eden, overtly sensual, glamorous and expressive, evocatively portraying moods and passions through movement, colour and expression. The drape of luxe fabric and the construction of gowns over flesh illuminates the artist’s appreciation of timeless haute couture design, and her beautiful models display a careless, unhurried poise, free from want, free from politics and banal concerns.

An extensive formal art education forms the backbone of Anna’s very distinctive style. Educated at the Russian State University for the Arts as a High Class Artist, she went on to study further in Germany, Belgium and Holland, imbuing her artwork with a unique European and cosmopolitan élan. Figures are rendered perfectly, naturally, and the use of extensive detail in the positive space is complemented by impressionistic backgrounds that serve to more fully define the subject while contributing Anna’s signature rich colours and evocative moods.

All of Anna’s subjects are treated with dignity; intimate portraits that capture a brief, perfect moment in time. A continual motif is the artist in reflection – musicians in repose with instruments, dancers in languid motion or relaxed contemplation. Anna’s still lifes and landscapes resound with the same poignant feeling of the ideal slice of life, bouquets caught at the moment of perfect, fragrant full bloom and stunning natural scenery at the verdant apex of spring.