Maria Koshenkova

KOSHMAR

Glass sculptor | Copenhagen, Denmark

Playing with glass

Maria uses a cornucopia of glass sculpting techniques
Ongoing experimentation is part of her individual style
Her work includes glass objects and site specific installations

Russian born Maria Koshenkova, who graduated from the Academy of Art and Design in St. Petersburg, has brought a breath of fresh air to Denmark. Her work encompasses myriad techniques. In the beginning she worked with hot formed glass, before turning to blown glass during a stay in Japan. There, she learned about the traditional sexual practice of Shibari from Japanese bondage artists, resulting in her series Restrain and Release, using cast glass. She has also developed work using the complex process of lost wax casting thanks to support from the Danish Art Foundation. Mould preparation and coldworking is carried out in Maria's recently opened studio.

Interview

©Anders Sune Berg

©Musverre Sars-Poteries

What is the most important thing about working with glass?: To play. When I enter the studio, I feel like a child who is waiting for what happens next. It is a game, a fight and a choreography, where my ideas are confronted with the character of the material. Glass never behaves like you expect it to.
Would you like to be more in control of the material?: Definitely not. You always have to be flexible and sensitive to own 'mistakes' and be able to turn them into an advantage. I just want to deliver my feelings and ideas to the viewer and I'm open to changing my working methods through the process.
How does travel influence you?: Fellowships and art residencies give me a fantastic opportunity to experiment. I believe I am good at adapting my skills since travel abroad allows me to investigate using alternative techniques.
How does your Russian background affect you?: My identity is shaped by Russian culture, which forms the basic narrative in my works, which I try to merge with Scandinavian aesthetics. The borders between craft, design and fine arts are much more fluid in Russia, which gives me more freedom.

Maria Koshenkova is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2005