Today we’d like to introduce you to Lina Kogan
Hi Lina, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I am a mixed media abstract artist and sculptor. While I was born in Kyiv, Ukraine, I feel that my artistic style and aesthetic were formed in Los Angeles, and were greatly influenced by artists I discovered through Modern Art History classes, such as Jean Arp, Marcel Duchamp, Max Ernst, Hannah Hesse, Alexander Calder and Henry Moore. There were also the influences of the constructivism of Ed Lissitzky, Wassily Kandinsky, and the Bauhaus movement. I went to an Art School in Kyiv, but was steered by my family not to pursue art as a career, but to study Engineering instead. When I immigrated to the US at the age of 20, I switched to Computer Science, my other passion, which explains why my art is influenced by technology so much. I graduated from the University of Southern California with a Masters degree in Multimedia and Creative Technologies. I started creating ceramic sculptures in the late nineties, later transitioning to my main current style of mixed media and experimental textured abstracts incorporating found objects.
In the last 20 years I have been fortunate to exhibit my collages, abstract paintings and sculptures in the American Museum of Ceramic Art, the Pacific Design Center, Neutra Institute Museum, Torrance Art Museum, TAG Gallery, The Brewery Art Colony, and the California Conference for Advancement of Ceramic Arts (CCACA). I have had eight solo shows and have participated in over 50 group exhibitions in the US and overseas.
I have been honored with multiple awards including the Emerging Artists Jeanne Ward Foundation award and the Homage to Russian Avant-Garde award by renowned art critic Peter Frank.
This year I am looking forward to exhibiting at the LA Makery in February, The Brewery Art Colony in May, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Japan in June.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
This is not an easy question, my art journey has not been a smooth road, as is the case for most creatives. Of course, there were some struggles faced by many busy women artists – juggling raising two children, having a job in technology, but still maintaining the full time art practice, participating in LA Experimental Artists workshops, ceramics and sculpture workshops and classes, working with the galleries and art collectives, and building a collector base. However, I would not name any of the above as my main obstacle. My main challenge throughout my art practice has been conveying the meaning of my abstract art. On one hand, I believe that abstract art should not be explained, which doesn’t imply that it’s meaningless. On the other hand, I understand that some may be looking for an explanation beyond the visual that comes with my personal experiences. How do I put into words how complex my expression is, including the story behind the visual layers in the presentation, as well as layers of content that is meaningful to me, but also can be experienced by others? To deal with this challenge I started creating poems to match my collages and assemblages. They are abstract pieces on their own, often acting like scavenger hunt directions, full of clues pointing to one or another element in the painting, evoking emotions and sentiments.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Along with acrylic and clay, my 2d and 3d artworks often contain deconstructed elements of technology and found objects, including computers, coffee machines, musical instruments, sewing machines, headphones and other unidentified gadgets. One can often find pieces of ceramics that I made alongside lego parts, all of which become like brush strokes on the canvas or board. Wires and threads are often present in my artwork to represent human connection and communication, be it interpersonal emotional connection or between the dots in our heads. I explore the dichotomy of our relationship with technology which is both helping us so much, but also makes us less focused and more distant. Sometimes I evoke nostalgic themes, using elements such as the contents of my grandmother’s sewing box or the cheap plastic earrings I wore as a teenager. Other times, I reach far into the future with the science-fiction associations that come from shiny computer parts. One of the projects I am really proud of is the “Out Of Control Tower” installation that I brought to Burning Man in August of 2024. The previous smaller version of this work was part of the NOMAD art show organized by Torrance Art Museum. This interactive sculpture consists of original assemblage panels where visitors can rearrange colorful wooden cubes attached on the towers with wires. “Out Of Control Tower” explores the feeling of being in control (or not), and the idea of collective creation. My aim is for the visitors to question their own sense of control and have fun with the sculpture. Both times the work was displayed the outcome exceeded my expectations – the sculpture looked so different and more tangled up at the end of each day after multiple visitors were changing its shape. This year I am working on adding sound and light aspects to the interaction and plan to display it at other venues in addition to Burning Man 2025.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Don’t silence your own authentic voice and inspirations and aesthetics as you go through training with more experienced artists and mentors. Don’t fall for your imposter syndrome. Remember your authentic voice is valid, but keep growing by expanding your horizons through art workshops, visiting galleries and museums and travelling. You don’t have to choose between your art and your other career if you have one. The other side of your identity can inform your art and make it more unique. There is no wrong source of inspiration – modern day technology or urban surroundings can inspire as much as nature or traditionally beautiful things.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linakogan.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/linakoganart/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LinaKoganArt/
- Other: https://linktr.ee/LinaKogan
