Inna Etuvgi - Buttercup

BUTTERCUP
fine art photo print by Inna Etuvgi

These tiny flowers are hard to call inconspicuous for their stubborn yellow — like pieces of sun scattered in the grass. And still, we rarely pay attention: just another weed, not worth a second look.

But look closer at this bright weed. Its petals have rare optical structures in the plant kingdom — bouncing light back much like a soap bubble does. No breeder gets credit for this. It built itself.

Even the cows that graze a field clean leave it standing — its sap bites back just enough. Unchosen by trend, unchosen by appetite — and still here, every spring. The beauty that deserves to be seen.

The piece belongs to The Beauty of Unselected, my collection of portraits of wild flowers - often called weeds. A diamond needs a cut and a setting before people notice it. A great musician playing in a subway passage gets walked past. I give these plants the setting they never get and let them do the rest.

I meant to start shooting this series back in early spring, but by the time I got to it, most of the season’s flowers were gone. This one was still holding its spot at the edge of the forest near my house — as if it had been waiting for me :)

PRINT DETAILS:

* Medium: Museum-quality Giclée print.
* Paper: Archival Quality Fine Art paper (300 gsm), 100% cotton, acid-free.
* Edition: Limited edition of 25.
* Authenticity: Hand-signed and numbered by the artist. Includes a signed Certificate of Authenticity (COA).
* Production: Printed under the artist's direct supervision to ensure archival standards and impeccable color accuracy.
* Dimensions: Image size 40 x 30 cm; total paper size 43 x 34 cm.

OPTIONAL — MAT & READY-TO-FRAME PREPARATION

The print ships on its own, unmatted. If you’d like, I can mount it in a custom passepartout with a backing board, tailored to fit your frame perfectly.

I use pH-neutral archival materials and a reversible mount, so the print can always be removed without damage. This is an optional paid service — just message me for the price and details.


ABOUT THE ARTIST

Inna Etuvgi is a Swedish-Chukchi art photographer and digital artist, internationally recognised as an Arte Laguna Prize finalist (Venice) and a recipient of the Swedish Arts Grants Committee grant. Born in a remote Arctic village in Chukotka and trained in technical cybernetics, she began her artistic practice in 2020 and has since exhibited across Europe — in Venice, London, Barcelona, Palermo, and San Marino.

Etuvgi lives with aphantasia — she cannot see images in her mind. Her camera and AI serve as extensions of her visual imagination, allowing her to create what she cannot picture internally. Through macro photography she enters the hidden worlds of mosses, lichens, and dewdrops; through digital art she gives form to psychological states and inner archetypes. Both are rooted in a deep sensitivity shaped by her Chukchi upbringing — an instinct to feel into every living thing.

As art critic Tabish Khan notes: "Her work transports us to other worlds — both real and imaginary, but always in harmony with nature."