Someone asked me once, "Why spend hours making art look like a photo when you can simply take a photograph?" It is a very valid question. I don’t remember what I said in response, but what I would have liked to say looking back is:
“Well, (anonymous name), do you fish?” (I think he did.) "If you buy a fish from a shop and eat it for dinner, do you make fond memories of that meal? How many times have you had shop-bought fish and really remember that occasion? Yet, it looks exactly like a fish you’d catch yourself."
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"So it is the same. I can say why do you enjoy fishing when you can just buy it? Because, if you have an affinity for the art of fishing you will describe to me the skill that comes from the patience of anticipating the tugging of the rod, the elation that comes from the perseverance of not letting that catch get away. And then the rich memory that is formed when you share that meal in the evening, because the taste is different; it has a story, and it involved a process of your own efforts for the good of yourself and others. Personally, I don’t like this example because I don’t like hurting animals! But you understand my point, I hope.
It is what you put into something- if done with sincerity- that makes it special, and this will always resonate as a wordless experience in others."
My name is Natasha Lily Abrahams. Like all children, I expressed my natural affinity to art from a very young age. However, I didn't cease to nurture this quality because, as I grew up, realism provided me with a space where I could freely express my acute attention to detail. I had discovered a way to deal with the overwhelm of the external world that comes with Asperger's Syndrome and the heightened sensitivity to precision and patterns. Despite the fact that Autism is a social communication difficulty, I became aware in my teenage years that I have an intrinsic love for humankind of indescribable measures. So, painting portraits probably arose from this innate feeling. I want to do everything I can to help people improve their relationship with suffering, no matter who they are, for we all have an innate goodness with unique gifts that can be shared to ignite peace and joy.
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​Whilst I am a self-taught artist, I received high credit in secondary school when I begun the challenge of hyperrealistic art practice (using graphite pencils). Between 2019-2024, I studied BA Modern Languages (Spanish and Chinese) at the University of Exeter, which was driven by my love for culture and forming bonds with people. These two passions collided when students globally had their education hit to devastating degrees by Covid-19. The only way I was able to cope with this historical disruption to familiar life was by painting people and cultures that I grieved the lack of connection to during lockdown.
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My vision for the future of my work is that the union between art and humanitarianism will deepen as I extend myself in service and communication to a diverse range of people around the world, providing wisdom and creative thinking that can instil a sense of freedom in hearts and minds.