Soul sisters: Natalya Urmanova and Elvira Iurova strengthen life with art
- 16 Feb 2025
Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer
ME by Meliá Dubai has unveiled What’s Brought to Life, an exhibition by two artists, Natalya Urmanova and Elvira Iurova (Feb. 13 – Mar. 13). It is an invitation for introspection, an exploration of human identity through the raw power of creativity and the transformative nature of self-expression. Guests are welcomed to embark on a journey that reinterprets perspectives, redefines personal narratives and celebrates the fusion of portraiture through photography and craftsmanship through jewellery making.
At the heart of the exhibition is a creative collaboration, one born from an unexpected friendship between two artists with distinct yet complementary visions. Natalya Urmanova, a portrait artist, captures the latent dimensions of identity, offering her subjects a mirror into their own untapped potential and Elvira Iurova, an award-winning jewellery designer, transforms personal stories into intricate jewellery pieces that symbolise strength, resilience, and transformation. Together, their work projects an idea: the human soul as a canvas, continuously shaped by life’s experiences.
Urmanova’s portraits go beyond traditional representation; they serve as mirrors of inner strength and self-discovery. Her creative process is not just about capturing an image, but about unveiling deeper qualities of a subject. Iurova’s El’eeté jewellery follows a similar philosophy; her designs are not mere ornamentation, but embody empowerment through gemstones, meticulously chosen for their meaning and energy. “When we came together, no one could have predicted that our friendship would become a foundation for self-exploration and life-changing realisations, leading to the creation of this joint exhibition today,” say the artists.
At the heart of their work lies the belief that the human soul’s capacity is limitless and its life, infinite. The question, says the artists, is how we can access its full potential. They believe that art is one of the greatest means of planting new seeds into consciousness for answers about such a question. Art serves a gentle reminder that “look, everything has always been within you!” What if we imagine, the artists say, that the human soul is a divine masterpiece that possesses all the knowledge and qualities it needs, and at birth, is handed to us as a blank canvas, giving us the joy of painting our very own unique portrait?
Here, according to them, life begins stroke by stroke, creating a portrait made of experiences, feelings, gains, and losses, where every acquaintance adds a fragment to the canvas of a person’s existence. In life, just as in art, the collaborators insist, completion of the picture is not the final goal; rather, it is seeing the beauty in each fragment that matters. Thus, the heroes of Natalya Urmanova's portraits are not only documented; the subjects are offered a chance to see something that may even contradict their own self-image.
Like in alchemy, which lies in bringing together various elements, the art-chemical process here brings to life hidden features. The portraits awaken dormant powers, offering an expanded self-vision, revealing the unspoken beauty of existence we may often overlook. Urmanova is conversant with the limits of her profession, even as she taps its resources. “What a portrait actually brings to life is never predictable,” she says. “But it surely provides clues for a deeper understanding of oneself. I don’t search for a hero with a specific story; I rather stay open and curious.” The experimental approach helps her bring out aspects and attributes that were concealed or were masked by a subject.
El'eete jewellery essays to manifest inner beauty and strength through the medium of precious stones. “Nothing is impossible for you!” is the message of its designs. Crafting the human soul and embodying it in jewellery calls for delicate artistry and an understanding of the intricacies of feeling. It is something that is fearlessly attempted by Elvira Iurova.
"Both artists bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the show. Urmanova has spent over 15 years in the fashion industry, working with global luxury icons like Louis Vuitton, Prada, and Saint Laurent. Her journey led her from high fashion to photography, where she found her raison d’etre: capturing human emotion through a lens and translating it into timeless art.
Iurova is an acclaimed jewellery designer, whose craftsmanship and artistic vision earned her the title of Best Exclusive Jewelry Designer at Milan Jewelry Week 2023. She likes her pieces to be much more than adornments; for her, they should reflect identity, resilience, and personal growth. “You can only get beyond the surface by working with the surface. I have great faith in surfaces. A good one is full of clues,” said Richard Avedon, American fashion and portrait photographer.
"In the material world,” said Dmitry Likhachev, Russian medievalist, linguist and one hailed as a guardian of national culture, "you cannot fit the large into the small. However, in the realm of spiritual values, it is not the same: the small can fit the large. And if you try to fit the small into the large, the large will simply cease to exist."
So you are invited to go to the exhibition, journey below the surface and find out for yourself how the smaller you fits into a larger scheme. ME by Meliá Dubai is a 5-star hotel located in the Burj Khalifa district inside the iconic Opus building, designed by the late Zaha Hadid. It is the only hotel to be designed both externally and internally by Hadid; the property is a testament to her visionary approach to architecture.
