For many years, my central theme has been the sky, specifically clouds illuminated by the soft glow of sunrise and sunset. In my work, color takes precedence over form. I believe that color is the truest medium for expressing emotion and atmosphere. I can spend hours mixing a single shade. Watching how a color changes next to others, how it breathes and transforms within its surroundings—that’s the most fascinating part of the process for me.
Dance of Light, oil on canvas, 24¾ x 17" (63 x 43 cm)
Over the past three years, I have been traveling across Southeast Asia, continuing my exploration of light. Here, the sunlight is far more intense than in Russia, and my paintings have become brighter and more saturated. Dance of Light is the first work from my Shadows series, inspired by the fleeting reflections of sunlight on a wall. I am endlessly fascinated by capturing ordinary fragments of life and transforming them into art. This piece reflects that quiet magic—the dance of light we all witness, often without even noticing.
Bamboo Shadows, oil on canvas, 391/3 x 391/3" (100 x 100 cm)
This painting is part of my ongoing Shadows series and was created as a commissioned work. The client requested a larger piece featuring bamboo with a new composition. I chose my signature diagonal layout, which brings rhythm and balance to the scene, and developed a more detailed structure of light and shadow. I love how a painting can create the feeling of a window on the wall, one that lets in warm sunlight and fills the space with a sense of calm.
Years of painting skies have allowed me to develop a deep understanding of color harmony and luminosity, enabling me to create the distinctive sense of light that defines my art. I paint in oil on canvas, preferring traditional brushes, which I often combine with a palette knife to build texture and thickness in my strokes. An unexpected element in my process is the use of makeup brushes, which allow me to achieve the soft blending and delicate transitions that give my work its ethereal atmosphere.
Once Upon a Time on Gili, oil on canvas, 47¼ x 391⁄3" (120 x 100 cm)
This painting was created after a trip to the Gili Islands. I was inspired by the crystal clear water, its shimmering reflections and the optical illusions on the surface. I wanted to capture the play of light and the sense of movement; how the sea feels alive and constantly changing. During the process, I focused on color and direction to show how light reflects and refracts in the motion of water.
Olive Tree Branches, oil on canvas, 65 x 63" (165 x 160 cm)
After the success of Dance of Light, I received a commission from France for a new painting in the same style, but featuring olive branches, a motif deeply meaningful to the client and her culture. I immediately began working on the composition and color palette. Since I had never seen an olive tree in person, I studied dozens of photographs to capture its essence and translate it into my visual language of light and color.
To enhance the sense of light, I add a tiny drop of neon pigment to traditional oil paints. It makes the color subtly glow while remaining natural and gentle to the eye. In my recent series, I explore the dialogue between light and shadow, and how darkness makes light even more vivid. My goal is to create art that can transform the viewer, giving them a feeling of hope and inner peace.
About the artist
Polina Kupriyanova
Polina Kupriyanova (Plin.art) was born in Russia and educated in decorative and applied arts at the Saint Petersburg University of Technology and Design. She has been working as an independent artist since 2020, and since 2022, has been living and traveling across Southeast Asia, where she continues her exploration of light.
Her paintings focus on warm, intimate moments of everyday life: the shadow of the sunset in a garden, peach-colored clouds or reflections playing on the surface of the water. Light itself is her main subject, not as a literal phenomenon, but as a feeling that connects people, places and memories. Kupriyanova works primarily in oils, combining traditional brushes with palette knives to create textured, layered surfaces, while using makeup brushes to achieve smooth, atmospheric blending. Her technique often includes adding a drop of neon pigment to classic oil colors—a subtle secret that gives her paintings their characteristic inner glow.
Currently she is developing her ongoing series Shadows and preparing for her upcoming solo exhibition in the USA. She also dreams of painting olive trees from life during a trip to Europe, an experience that would allow her to explore new tones of light and atmosphere in her work.
Kupriyanova’s works are held in private collections across the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Europe, China, Indonesia and Japan.
Contact at
plin.vik@yandex.ru