Margarita Buttenmueller
(b. 1987, Kaliningrad, Russia.)Margarita Buttenmueller works in oil and acrylics, exploring everyday environments through vibrant colour, architectural rhythm, and close observation of the details that give familiar places their character.
Margarita’s artworks have been shortlisted for the UOB Painting of the year ‘25 and ‘26. Her works have been published in “Art and Woman, Life and creative world of 100 women artists from around the world” Arts to Hearts Project. Her works have also been published in “Suboart Magazine. October 2023, #12”
“I am interested in finding beauty in the familiar - in the places we pass every day but often stop noticing.”
Margarita Buttenmueller’s work explores the beauty and intimacy of familiar environments, with particular attention to places and details that often go unnoticed. Drawing from Singapore’s tropical landscape and its urban architecture, she is interested in how colour, atmosphere and everyday human presence shape our emotional connection to place. In her recent Urban Intimacy series, HDB façades become studies of the relationship between architectural order and individual life, where laundry, plants, open windows, and other traces of daily routines soften the repetition and geometry of the built environment.
Working in acrylic and oil, Margarita often reimagines the colours she observes rather than reproducing them literally. Through composition, geometry, colour and carefully observed details, she captures the atmosphere and emotional character of a place while retaining a strong connection to the original scene.
Margarita’s work has been exhibited in more than 20 exhibitions in Singapore and New York. She was shortlisted for the UOB Painting of the Year 2025 and 2026, and longlisted for Jackson’s Art Prize 2026, and her work has been presented in exhibitions and art platforms across Singapore, including at ION Orchard, Selegie Arts Centre and the Visual Arts Centre.
Selected Works
91 × 121cm
Oil on canvas
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Inspired by the lush beauty of Gardens by the Bay, this painting captures the vibrancy and energy of Singapore’s tropical flora. The scene showcases the striking contrast between deep blue Philodendron leaves and the fiery golden ferns, creating a bold and immersive composition.
Rather than portraying nature in its natural hues, I reimagined the landscape with vivid, unexpected colors - intensifying the interplay of light, shadow, and movement. The intricate details of the leaves and their dynamic arrangement evoke a sense of rhythm, as if the foliage is swaying in harmony with the tropical breeze.
This piece is an invitation to experience nature beyond its familiar form, seeing it through a lens of artistic expression - where colors pulse with life, and the ordinary transforms into something magical.
101 × 76cm
Oil on canvas
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Pink Sunset 1 is inspired by a breathtaking sunset over the Sembawang area of Singapore, which I was lucky enough to witness during a boat ride through the northern waters of the island.
It was a covid time and during that period, we began exploring parts of Singapore we had never seen before. Taking a boat out into its waters felt like the furthest we could possibly go at the time.
Just as the trip was coming to an end, the sky suddenly transformed - an extraordinary pink sunset spread across the horizon. It felt almost symbolic - a little reminder to cherish life's small moments, especially when the world feels restricted.
In this painting, the main focus is the water. I was drawn to the rhythm of the waves, their movement, their unpredictability, and I wanted to capture that living energy: powerful, restless and deeply beautiful.
91 × 121cm
Oil on canvas
101 × 76cm
Oil on canvas
60 × 60cm
Oil on canvas
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"Sentosa Sunrise 3" was born out of one of my early morning walks by the water on Sentosa. The sun was just coming up, spreading that warm golden light across the horizon, and the sea felt completely alive - full of small, restless waves catching the light.
I was completely drawn to the colors of that sunrise - the soft peaches and pinks melting into yellow, the cool blues of the water shifting with every movement. That contrast felt magical, and I knew I wanted to bring those colors home with me and let them live on the canvas.
So this piece became my way of holding onto that sunrise - translating those warm skies and shimmering blues into paint, and trying to capture not just the view, but the feeling of that glowing, peaceful beginning of the day.
101 × 76cm
Oil on canvas
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The inspiration behind "Ti Plant" oil painting in blue shades stems from a desire to explore the intersection of nature and imagination through color. The ti plant, known for its vibrant green and red foliage, is reimagined in a serene palette of blues to evoke a sense of calm and introspection.
The choice of blue shades reflects the plant’s symbolic qualities of transformation and resilience, with each hue representing different facets of its essence. The cool tones of blue convey a sense of tranquility and depth, inviting viewers to experience the ti plant not just as a living entity but as a source of peaceful contemplation. The use of oil paint enhances the rich, layered quality of the blue tones, capturing the subtle variations and nuances of the plant’s leaves. This approach creates a soothing and dreamlike atmosphere, allowing the ti plant to emerge as a symbol of quiet strength and serene beauty.
Overall, the painting serves as a meditative exploration of how nature can be transformed through artistic vision, encouraging viewers to see familiar subjects from a fresh and contemplative perspective.
60 × 60cm
Oil on canvas
101 × 76cm
Oil on canvas
Selected Exhibitions
2026
Saffron & Ember, Visual Arts Centre, Singapore
Between Horizons, The Working Capitol, Singapore
Fragments of Her, German Centre, Singapore
2025
Imagination Factory, TAG Gallery, Singapore
Home, Heart, Heritage, Living with Art Gallery, Singapore
2024
FIND – Design Fair Asia, Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands,
Singapore
Singapore Tales – A Panorama Through Local Eyes, The Arts House, Singapore
2023
Voice of Art II, ION Orchard, Singapore
Homeland, Maya Gallery, Singapore
2017
Views of New York, Avila Kitchen, New York, USA — Duo Exhibition
Awards/ Shortlists
UOB Painting of the Year 2026 — Shortlisted
Jackson’s Art Prize 2026 — Longlisted
UOB Painting of the Year 2025 — Shortlisted
Press & Publications
“Art and Woman, Life and creative world of 100 women artists from around the world” Arts to Hearts Project.
“Suboart Magazine. October 2023, #12”
To enquire about available works, commissions, or institutional loans, please contact us directly. All works are offered with full provenance documentation and a certificate of authenticity.