Urban Explorers – Tatiana Diakova

Together with North Sails we go to Barcelona, where human bodies and seascapes come together in this painter’s canvases

Originality is a return to origins. This notion accompanied Antoni Gaudí as he imagined the forms that would compose the urban canvas of Barcelona. His fairy tale-Catalan lines insist on this concept, delicately framed by the Ramblas. Originality, intended as a communal dance of human bodies, beauty, natural landscapes and purity, is also the palette from which the Belarusian, but adopted Barcelonés painter, Tatiana Diakova draws. “Painting is a spiritual exercise. I have never considered myself a painter; I just think that beauty itself is an act that deserves a voice. My subjects are landscapes and human bodies: I love the idea of human beings becoming an extension of nature, and vice versa. The ocean and the sea represent purity for me, as does the human body, and I try to communicate these concepts through minimalism, clean colors, shapes and compositions. I was born in a landlocked country, but I used to go camping with my family every year on the coast of the Black Sea. That’s where I learned to connect with nature and the waves, falling in love with their scents and sounds, their beauty…. this is where I experienced becoming one with my surroundings for the first time.”

After a brief career as a graphic designer, Tatiana chose the lights and coastlines of Barcelona inspiration for her brushes. At the foot of the notorious Montjuïc promontory this refined cultured explorer of beauty now surveys wild shorelines with her canvases while simultaneously directing MAUI Beach CoWork, a creative oasis that transects eclecticism, yoga, SUP and environmental sustainability. “When I paint on the shore, I feel like I’m capturing something that is constantly changing, and I try to give form to this perception through the dynamism of my figures. I feel so small before the eternal wisdom of this mighty element, but I also feel like I’m part of it. As if I am the rocks, lights, sunrises and sunsets I portray, like I connect to the source of the universe. In nature I feel more like myself. I want to show the purity of these places, to absorb it. In Barcelona everything is close to the sea, it only takes me a few minutes to get there and I often do it with the other MAUI Beach CoWork creatives. We dive into the water on a weekly basis with our SUP boards to recharge and, at the same time, see what’s going on. The construction of villas and hotels, pollution and the sprawl of chiringuitos are really detrimental trends, but Catalonia is doing a good job keeping it them at bay. Our community has several annual events dedicated to collecting plastic and waste: we know it’s not enough, but have to start somewhere. However, I also believe that art is an extremely powerful tool for promoting marine conservation.”

According to the delicate words of this artist who grew up thumbing through Alessandro Baricco’s ‘Oceano Mare,’ a novel where a man named Plasson tirelessly paints with salt water at the foot of the ocean, it is and always will be beauty that changes individual and collective consciences; beauty that will establish a new, healthy relationship with the marine environment. “Through art I educate myself and try to educate others. I am convinced that art can teach us get in touch with the natural elements. As I’m speaking, so many images come to my mind: gigantic whales, people swirling through the deep sea, blooms of jellyfish…. A sense of harmony pervades me that’s guided by the photographs, films and paintings I’ve enjoyed. Then I think of diametrically opposed images, of polluted beaches ruined by human irresponsibility, lost paradises. Every art form raises questions and reflections, and calls people to act. Every virtuous action has a positive impact. My philosophy is encapsulated in this process, in this belief: beauty is so strong that it drives people to change, and I want to continue to paint that beauty.”