Bella Kotantaki is a London-based artist whose abstract practice brings together scientific observation, emotional experience and a deep engagement with the natural world. Working across painting and mixed media, she explores fragmentation, transformation, memory and the shifting relationships between structure and spontaneity.
Her background in science plays an important role in the way she approaches image-making. Processes of observation, experimentation and change move between her scientific and artistic practices, informing works built through layering, mark-making and material exploration. Biological systems, landscapes and organic forms frequently provide starting points, while colour, texture and atmosphere allow the work to move beyond direct representation.
Kotantaki’s practice has developed through a combination of independent exploration and artistic training in Greece and the UK. Her experience spans acrylics, mixed media, charcoal, pastels, watercolour, batik, alcohol inks, polymer clay, collage, jewellery making and printmaking, creating a broad material vocabulary that supports an intuitive and experimental approach.
Across bodies of work including Fragments of Us, Avatars and Metamorphosis, she considers identity, memory and transformation, while her seascapes and salt pan paintings extend her interest in light, atmosphere and changing material states.
Are you self-taught, or did you undertake formal artistic training?
I am largely self-taught, supported by formal training in Greece and the UK. My artistic development has included painting studies in Patras, Thessaloniki and London, exploring diverse media and techniques.
I have worked with acrylics, mixed media, charcoal, pastels, watercolour, batik, alcohol inks, polymer clay, collage, jewellery making and printmaking. Selected teachers include Marina Emphietzi, Francesco Poiana, Eloizos Themistokleous and Anastasia Kassiadi.
How would you define your visual language or conceptual approach?
My visual language is rooted in abstraction, layering and experimentation, exploring the intersection of science, emotion and memory. Drawing inspiration from biological systems, landscapes and natural forms, my work operates within a space of emotional abstraction, where fragmented forms and layered textures explore identity, memory, the subconscious, and the balance between structure and spontaneity.
Can you describe your creative process from conception to completion?
My process is intuitive and exploratory, often beginning with emotion, scientific observation or a visual impulse drawn from nature. Through layering, mark-making and experimentation with materials, each work evolves gradually, balancing spontaneity with structure.
Does narrative, symbolism, or storytelling play a role within your work?
My work is directed by narrative expressions of the material realm, channelling other realms through emotional and intangible connections. Through fragmented forms, layered textures and organic references, my paintings suggest personal and collective stories, inviting viewers to form their own emotional and symbolic interpretations.
Which artists have most influenced you historically or contemporarily and why?
My work is influenced by artists such as Monet and Turner for their treatment of light and atmosphere, and by Matisse for colour and harmony. I admire painters such as Helen Frankenthaler and Joan Mitchell for their expressive freedom. Together, these influences guide my practice, where the image becomes an environment, something to enter rather than simply observe.
What personal, cultural, or environmental influences shape your practice?
My work is influenced by both scientific observation and artistic experimentation, particularly practices that embrace materiality and transformation. My scientific career has profoundly shaped how I think. Research requires close observation, patience and sensitivity to systems of change.
In the studio, those instincts translate into an exploration of flow, structure, layering and emergence. The Greek landscape, scientific inquiry and an intuitive, self-taught practice come together in my work, balancing control and chance, serenity and energy.
Where is your studio based, and how does the space inform your creativity?
I am based in London, and my studio practice is shaped by the balance between structured research and creative freedom.
Do you have any rituals or rhythms that anchor your studio practice?
I maintain a fluid rhythm, working between the lab and studio, allowing each discipline to inform the other.
What bodies of work or projects are you currently developing?
I am currently developing a body of abstract work exploring fragmentation and transformation, in dialogue with the themes Fragments of Us, Avatars and Metamorphosis. Alongside this, I am working on a series of seascapes and salt pan paintings that extend my interest in light, atmosphere and shifting material states.
Where can collectors encounter or acquire your work?
My works can be viewed through exhibitions such as FLUX and directly through my website at bellakotantaki.com.
