ARTIST, PHOTOGRAPHER & ENVIRONMENTALIST
NATALIE KARPUSHENKO
Natalie Karpushenko, Kazakhstan born, recently, has been busily working as an art director in various fields. Initially a student of fine art, Natalie went on to major in architecture and interior design. She began working as a photographer from the age of 18. Natalie traveled to many cities, encountered an array of cultures and environments, gradually understood what her interests were, and established her artistic practice.
During her travels, she discovered two main muses: mother nature, especially the element of water, and the human figure. As a result of her love for combining the two, Natalie’s artistic process is a blend of intention, intuition and magic. The true subject of her photos is often unclear as she captures the union of the human within nature and nature within the human.
Her artworks are sought after by galleries, publishers and brands. And, her photographs hang on the walls of private collectors around the world.
In her gallery you can see the captured beauty in its most distilled form: natural light, simple lines, purposeful scaling, minimal editing if any, and a wide range of subjects from humans, oceans, and plants, to wild animals including cheetahs, whales, and bats.
Passionate about the wellbeing of the planet and the health of the oceans, Natalie uses her freediving skills to illuminate the beauty, depth, and power of the sea to inspire conscious consumption and raise environmental awareness.
In Natalie’s free time, you can find her freediving with whales, dancing, singing, and uncovering newly discovered beauty both with my natural and digital lenses.
PHILOSOPHY
“My ideas start from nature and take shape when I add a human into the environment. I may notice the shape of a rock, and see how it mirrors the female figure. I may see an animal in its wild habitat and remember that we were once wild too. I may swim through plastic in the ocean and wonder how it feels to be a fish with trash in its home.
My art is a result of my desire to reconnect with the natural world — especially through water, the element we all came from. My art is also a movement — to inspire appreciation and passion for taking care of our planet and ourselves.”
PROJECTS
Solo Exhibition «Ground Seesaw»
Seoul, 2022-2023
Exhibition numbers: 117.000+ visitors; 200+ art works; 1.000+ m2 gallery space.
The show consisted of six sections journeying from the deep ocean to the heart of primal forests. Alongside two hundred photos from Natalie’s projects, including the three signature projects, Ocean Breath, Rising Woman and Angel.
180° Video Installation
«Water Drop»
Seoul, 2023
Soul-stirring visual narrative Water Drop is an art film tracing the poignant path of a water droplet.
From the delicate emotions encapsulated in tears to the thunderous spectacle of waterfalls, the tranquil flow of river expanding to the ocean, and the majestic presence of whales, this five-minute voyage encapsulates the essence of water's profound journey on Earth.
Music for this art film has been written by Avi Snow. Vocal by opera singer Ekaterina Shelehova.
United Nations Mural
Commission, USA, 2022
6 floors mural is for and inspired by UNITED NATIONS Sustainable Development Goal 14 and the UN Decade of Ocean Sciences led by UNESCO to reverse decline in ocean health and catalyze transformative ocean science solutions for sustainable development, connecting people and the ocean.
Reference for Ricky’s Lee Gordon Street Art for Mankind mural supported by United Nations Hyatt Regency Houston
RECOGNITION
-
2023: Solo Exhibition - Ocean Breath - Drifter - Bali, Indonesia
2022-2023: Solo Exhibition - Ground Seesaw - Seoul, Korea
2022: Part of - Red Dot Miami - Miami Art Show - Miami, FL
2021: Part of Imagenation Paris - Galerie Joseph - Paris
2021: Solo Exhibition - Rising Woman - Aperitif - Bali, Indonesia
2020: Solo Exhibition - Rising Woman - Parq Ubud - Bali, Indonesia
2019: Solo Exhibition - Dancers - ForteBank Kulanshi Art Space, Astana, Kazakhstan
-
2022: Vogue Germany, Nowness, Saatchi Online, Harper’s Bazaar Korea, Sirene journal
2021: Clo, Collater.al, Vogue Germany, Nowness, Publico, Men’s Health, Forbes Russia
2020: Vogue France
2019: Esquire - Girl Who Tamed the Whales - Kazakhstan
2018: Photographic Museum of Humanity – Plastic and the Sea
-
2019-2020: Fine Art Photography Award - Planet of garbage - Professional winner
-
2022: Street Art for Mankind mural supported by United Nations - Hyatt Regency Houston - Reference for Ricky’s Lee Gordon
2022: Pamplona Es Cultura - outdoor campaign
2022: La Mer
2021: Adopte Un Mec - First Kiss – outdoor campaign - France + South America nationwide