Picasso Gallery in Al Quoz (Dubai) presents Cities, a solo exhibition by contemporary artist Julia Smolenkova, showcasing her signature series of city-inspired paintings. The cityscape, its individuality and spirit, takes centre stage in this collection. Each piece holds its own story, deeply rooted in the location where it was produced. The exhibition will be open to the public until 23 April 2025.
Julia’s works function as portraits of the cities she has encountered. Through this concept, she expands her colouristic vision, capturing the vastness of urban spaces on a single plane. Light and colour become her guiding forces, directing the viewer’s experience. “A city is your perfect guide to other centuries […] and countries,” the artist says. “It’s a portrait of each era, and at the same time it is contemporary.” She believes the sensations of space, time, light, and proportion are universally understood: they speak for themselves.
When exploring a new city, there comes a moment when the urban landscape unfolds before you: an intimate encounter with the place. In her paintings, Julia translates that moment into feeling. The details dissolve, leaving behind a distillation of emotion and memory. Despite the restrained palette, often approaching minimalism, and the abstract forms, each location remains identifiable. Every city carries its own rhythm, colour, light, and pulse.
About the artist
Julia Smolenkova (b. 1986) is more than an artist: she’s also a publisher, gallery owner, and curator of international art initiatives. A graduate of Stroganov Moscow State University of Arts and Industry (Russia), she holds a PhD in Art History and Architecture and is a corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Arts. She is also affiliated with the International Artists Union in Belgium, the International Arts Fund, and the International Council of Museums.
Julia’s work bridges abstraction and realism, creating a new dimensional dialogue within the canvas. A passionate traveller, she draws inspiration from cities across the globe, each journey sparking new creative exploration and bodies of work.
The artist’s creations have been exhibited internationally — in Belgium, France, Italy, the USA, the UAE, and more — and are part of public and private collections, which include the United Nations. Her large-scale mosaics can be found in public spaces, while her paintings grace the interiors of places like the Mandarin Oriental Jumeirah in Dubai.
Among Julia’s accolades are the Ten-Year Excellence Award at World Art Dubai 2024, the Saint Michael Gold Medal (New York), the Praiseworthy Medal of the Russian Academy of Arts, and the Gold Medal from the Creative Union of Artists of Russia. She has also received an honorary diploma from the Russian Ministry of Education and Science for her contributions to education and culture. Other honours include being named a Laureate of the Young Talents of Russia (State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow), the International Arts Fund Prize, and the Moscow – the City of the World International Contest.
To get more information about Cities, please go to Picasso Gallery’s official Instagram account.
In addition, you might be interested in visiting Form and Rhythm, a collective exhibition at Sotheby’s Dubai.
To stay updated with the latest art news, you can join our Telegram channel.
