About
1988: Born and raised in the countryside of Moscow, Russia
Currently lives and works between Moscow and Barcelona
Education
2018 - 2019: MA Creative and Collaborative Enterprise, University College London
2005 - 2010: BA Sociology, Lomonosov Moscow State University
Short courses
2023: Long pose drawing, Barcelona Academy of Art
2019: Foundation course, London Fine Arts Studios
Selected exhibitions
Works On Paper 7, May 10, 2025. Blue Shop Galleries, SW9 6BH, London, UK
Tales of Xenophobia. Les Autres..., October 9 - 31, 2024. 31 rue de Turenne, Paris, France.
Summer Exhibition, June 18 - August 18, 2024. Royal Academy of Arts, London
How I spent my summer, August 31 - October 1, 2023. Sample Art x Krivokolenny 9/3, Moscow, Russia
Emergence, June 2023. Visionary Art Collective, NYC, USA
Part of a landscape. February 18 - March 5, 2023. VCA Space, Moscow, Russia
Anna Antonova, La Digue as part of Art-Space-Hopping. July 7 - 31, 2022 Krivokolenny 9/3, Moscow, Russia
Art Fairs and special projects
May 26 - 28, 2023 — Port Art Fair, Sevkabel Port, Kozhevennaya Liniya, 40, St Petersburg, Russia
September 14 - 18, 2022 — Blazar Young Art Fair, 2022, Moscow City Museum, Russia
Residencies
La Botanica, March - June, 2023, Barcelona, Spain
Biography
Born in Moscow, Anna Antonova is a figurative artist with an academic background in sociology and anthropology, gained in both Moscow and London. Before fully committing to painting in 2018, she worked in cultural management and fundraising, gaining firsthand experience in the inner workings of the contemporary art scene.
In 2023, Anna refined her academic technique at the Barcelona Academy of Art. Working primarily in oil and watercolor, her visual language draws on the spiritual resonance of Gauguin, the atmospheric ambiguity of Peter Doig, and integrates influences from Soviet avant-garde and pop art. Her work is characterized by bold color palettes reminiscent of David Hockney and compositions echoing the cinematic rhythm of Alexander Deyneka.
Anna's work has been shown internationally. Her debut took place at the Art-Space-Hopping festival in Moscow (2022). In 2024, she was selected for the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition in London and took part in the group exhibition Tales of Xenophobia. Les Autres... held in Paris that autumn. In May 2025, she participated in Works on Paper 7, organized by London’s Blue Shop Galleries.
Artist statement
I am a self-taught Russian artist currently based between Moscow and Barcelona. My work draws inspiration from an array of cultures and countries, reflecting my experiences of living in the UK, Russia, Armenia, Turkey, and Spain.
In my artistic practice, I delve into contemporary themes that encompass gender, the objectification of the female body, and the exploration of the shadow archetype as an unconscious facet of one's personality.
Many of my pieces possess a nostalgic quality. Within my paintings, I intricately explore the interplay between fantasy, sensuality, and reality. Through the plasticity of contours, the interplay of colors, the dynamics of lines, the delicate airbrushed strokes, and the blurred outlines, I seek to investigate the intricate relationships that exist between figures and backgrounds, space and atmosphere, the viewer's gaze, and the optics of the image.
My art is firmly rooted in the post-impressionist tradition, embracing the emotional, visual, and symbolic possibilities of painting. Influenced by the Soviet avant-garde, I employ experimental techniques that draw from popular aesthetics, genre scenes, and compositional framing. These elements collectively contribute to what I refer to as "sensory images" - scenes in which the haptic, optical, and emotional experiences entwine and profoundly impact the viewer.
Press
Where beauty is created: in Anna Antonova's studio in Moscow. Gathering (obdn.ru), April 2025
Flower in the brain, Blumenhaus magazine, April 2024
‘How I spent my summer’, Sample, 2023
‘Anna Antonova among participants of Port Art Fair’, Sobaka, 2023
’Part of a landscape’ solo show by Anna Antonova,
The Vanderlust, 2023
Cultobzor, 2023
‘Highlights of Blazar young art fair’, Art Flash Magazine, 2022
‘Blazar contemporary art fair has announced the list of participants’
The Blueprint, 2022
Buro, 2022
‘Top 3 artsits at Blazar young art fair’, Tatyana Stolyar, 2022, Antigloss Telegram Channel
‘Top 9 artsits at Blazar young art fair’
Alexander Radaev, 2022, Parnasskiy peresmeshnik Telegram Channel
‘La Digue by Anna Antonova at Krivokolenny 9/3’
Art-Space-Hopping Festival
Portfolio request