Elizaveta Merkitanova

I am a Paris-based artist and textile designer, working between painting, material research, and surface.

I received my fine art education at the Stieglitz State Academy of Art and Design in Saint Petersburg, and later studied fashion design at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp and at Polimoda in Florence. This dual background — art and textile/fashion design — deeply shapes my practice.

My work is driven by color, texture, and materiality. I am drawn to surfaces that feel alive, layered, and tactile. Paint, pigment, and fabric become spaces for exploration, where intuition and structure meet. I often think through materials first, allowing color and texture to guide the image rather than a fixed narrative.

My paintings are rich in details — “sensory” elements that invite closeness and touch. I am interested in how surfaces can carry memory, emotion, and physical presence. Through my work, I aim to share a tactile, sensual perception of the world around me — one that is grounded in material, color, and feeling.

I received my fine art education at the Stieglitz State Academy of Art and Design in Saint Petersburg, and later studied fashion design at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp and at Polimoda in Florence.