Artist Marina Kokush in her studio (photographed by Arnella Chilingaryan, 2025)
There is a quiet confidence that runs through the work of Marina Kokush. Her sculptures celebrate the expressive lines of the female form, not as portraits of perfection, but as explorations of beauty, harmony, and intuition. Rooted in careful observation yet open to unexpected detours, her practice balances meticulous planning with the surprises that emerge through clay, color, and composition. Influenced by a lifetime spent wandering museums, the bold innovations of Matisse, and the elegance of contemporary ballet, she approaches the studio as both a place of challenge and meditation. Every new piece begins with uncertainty, but also with the conviction that the creative process is one of continual discovery.
In this conversation, she reflects on the artists who inspire her, why the female form remains an endless source of fascination, and what she hopes people carry with them after living with her work. Above all, her answers reveal an artist interested less in explaining her art than in creating space for viewers to find something deeply personal within it.
What initially inspired your current body of work?
Expressive lines of the female body
What part of your creative process would most surprise people?
Collecting ideas - I have a folder on my phone with tons of reference photos. Then comes sketching. Sometimes I cut and assemble models from paper.
What are you currently obsessed with?
Contemporary ballet; Matisse; composition in painting and sculpture.
What is something you wish more people understood about artists?
Sometimes (or, most of the time), you don’t have a specific idea you want to convey through your artwork that you can easily explain.
Which artists are at your dream dinner table? Who else is there?
Vermeer, El Greco, and Matisse - my favorite artists; Giacometti, because we need a sculptor; Nabokov, because we need the exquisite language that’s almost visual art to lead the conversation; Vaslav Nijinsky, who would dance; Mary Cassatt and Barbara Hepworth, because we need genius women too; Shchukin (a Russian art collector from the late 19th and early 20th century), to talk about how collectors really work; and Salvador Dalí, to talk about personal branding.
Inside the studio of Marina Kokush (photographed by Arnella Chilingaryan, 2025)
What is the last artwork you acquired—or wish you had?
A painting by an amazing artist I met at an art show where I was participating, her name is Maria Kazanskaya.
What does living with art add to a person's life?
It expresses their personality through their living space.
What is the one piece of advice you would give a new collector?
Buy what you truly like and not just because it’s an investment
When someone lives with one of your pieces for ten years, what do you hope it means to them?
I hope that it has sentimental value to them and is something they want to pass down to their children and grandchildren, keeping it in the family.
What keeps bringing you back to the studio?
Firstly, the challenge. Whenever I start a new piece, I feel like I can’t do it. Then I think about the pieces I’ve made in the past and remind myself, “Actually, I’ve done it before, so I can do it again.” Second, the meditation: it’s one of the rare times when I can stop thinking compulsively.
Describe your work in three words.
Feminine, expressive, intuitive.
"Venus Fleur du Mal" by Marina Kokush (Photograph by Arnella Chilingaryan, 2025)
What's something people often misunderstand about your work?
A few times, I’ve been asked (about my sculptures): Is this the body you wish you had?
If you could display your artwork anywhere in the world, where would it be?
What subjects or themes do you return to most often?
The female form
What do you hope people feel when they spend time with your work?
I hope they realize that they are beautiful just as they are, even if there’s something about themselves they don’t like.
What draws you to your chosen medium?
Clay is unforgiving of mistakes, but those mistakes often lead to better ideas
Describe a typical day in your studio.
Usually, I’m working on a few pieces at the same time. If I’m starting a new piece, I choose music that matches my mood or the feeling of the piece I’m creating. If I’m finishing a piece or working on the texture, I can listen to a podcast about art history or political science because it’s mostly repetitive, meditative work that I find very relaxing.
Do you begin with a plan or let the work evolve?
I usually have a plan and lots of reference photos, but sometimes the process takes a detour.
Is there a part of your process that surprises people?
Sometimes I take a finished piece home, only to realize I don’t like the glaze. Then I bring it back to the studio for another round of glazing and firing.
What influences your work outside of art?
Travel, museums, other artists’ work, and random people I see with interesting features
Are there recurring colors, materials, or ideas that you find yourself returning to?
I have two opposing impulses competing within me. I love pure, clean lines, which are best expressed through the raw texture of unglazed clay. But I also love bold colors and unexpected combinations. I’m inspired by Matisse and Fauvism, so I’m always drawn to vibrant glazes. It’s often difficult to decide which direction a particular piece should take, and I find myself constantly balancing between the two.
What do you wish more people understood about your work?
The nude female form is not about exposure. It’s about conveying the lines that ultimately lead us to divine harmony.
Inside the studio of Marina Kokush (photographed by Arnella Chilingaryan, 2025)
If someone could only know one thing before purchasing one of your pieces, what would it be?
That every piece is unique
Explore Marina's collection of sculptures here.