South Beach Art & Design Studio
BIOGRAPHY
Marina was born in a small mountain village in Kyrgyzstan, only 850 miles from Kailash mountain, Tibet, which played a significant role in her view of life. She was a very open child, sensitive to nature, attentive to people, and deeply interested in different religions from a very early age. Constantly drawing, carving, and creating, her exceptional abilities afforded her an acceptance to a young artists' school at the age of five.
Her family moved from villages to towns to cities, opening up her perspectives regarding different religions and lifestyles. Her passion and hunger for knowledge enabled her to be her school's valedictorian.
Marina realized her love for interior design at age 13; she made it her mission to go above and beyond in studying and skill-building so her passion could thrive. After high school, she was accepted to the Polytechnic University, majoring in Architecture and studying interior design, Fine Art, and Sculpture. Marina studied under the instructions of several great educators - architects, artists, and sculptors.
Today, Marina has built a roster of design clientele and displayed her pieces in various galleries, with many of her works being a part of private collections. She also has a studio in New York City, where she works on her art and design projects and teaches many gifted young students to hone their craft and gain creative confidence.
EDUCATION
Marina began various art classes in her early childhood, which led her to study in many artists’ studios throughout her teen years. When accepted to the Polytechnic State University of Kyrgyzstan, she studied Architecture and Interior Design, Fine Art, and Sculpture in Frunze (Bishkek), Moscow, Russia, and Lviv, Ukraine.
She studied under famous architect Galina Konduchalova, Valeriy Orozumbekov, Russian artist Andrey Golubev and educator Marina Appolonovna Manuilowa, daughter of Olga Maximilianowna Manuilowa, the renowned Russian sculptor and national artist.
Marina’s art education included studying privately with famous American artist and performer Ilona Royce Smithkin and Jason Chang, the President of North America PAA and MP of Pastel Society of America.
As women, we are not simple. We are complex, exquisite beings that hold more potential than ever recognized. For thousands of years, across regions, for the sake of safety, we hid our true nature to accommodate those with made-up power. Now, we are leaping out of our assigned frames and are claiming our own narrative.
Equality is a basic human right, a fundamental pillar in establishing a peaceful and prosperous world. While progress happens, there is still a great deal left to do. Girls and women continue to face significant challenges all around the world. In leadership roles, women are sorely underrepresented and often ignored in decisions directly impacting them.
At the same time, our form, abilities, and nature have been a source of inspiration and wonder for artists of every description. That has been true since humanity first picked up a pigment and left a legacy imprinted on the rocky walls of history.
Historically, though, women are described as goddesses, spirits, mythical beings from fairytales and scriptures - we are holy and dangerous. We are everything man desires and everything he fears, his source of life and his terror at the thought of death, of loss. All these contradictions stir many questions and emotions, but we learn to find the balance in life.
Being an artist allows me to raise those questions and speak my thoughts on these subjects. I have conversations on canvas. My paintings are my questions and my answers.
I support promoting women’s sense of self-worth, their ability to determine their own choices, and their right to influence social change for themselves and others.