My Story
For 25 years, my career was defined by crafting compelling narratives for products and brands, then my professional life eventually led me full circle, back to the art of clay—my true passion. My journey with clay began in my childhood in Zimbabwe. I spent countless hours in the sun-drenched backyard, my hands happily covered in mud from playing with my pet warthogs. I loved the feel of the earth and quickly discovered I could shape it into anything I imagined, from animals to people. Often, I would gather my friends and turn my backyard into a makeshift clay studio.
Today, my practice explores two interconnected pathways: figurative storytelling and structural form.
Figurative Work: I am a self-taught figurative sculptor whose work is born from constant discovery, sharp observation, and a deep fascination with people. My camera is always ready to capture interesting faces—the very portraits that inspire my characters and their imagined backstories. Each of my pieces becomes a silent storyteller, whispering tales of quirky misfortunes, unexpected fixations, and the strangely beautiful magic and messiness we all experience.
Vessel Work: My ideas are a direct response to the world around me. I find inspiration from architectural details and earthy objects. What comes out in the creative process is my response to those shapes and textures.
Artist Statement
Marina is a figurative sculptor with a keen eye for the human form's idiosyncrasies. She deliberately exaggerates both the physical features and the imagined inner lives of her subjects, turning off-the-cuff stories she encounters daily—whether at the grocery store, in tabloids, or through friends—into tangible portraits. These works, which often revolve around a character's vocation, celebrate the unique anxieties, dreams, and triumphs that shape their worlds.
Marina's artistic vision extends to her tactile use of her medium. She sculpts with a variety of clay bodies—from fine white porcelain to groggy clays with rich earthtones—each chosen to enhance the unique qualities of a portrait. Her surface finishes are the result of extensive experimentation with color; she applies layers of kiln-fired glazes, pigmented inks, matte acrylics, and waxes through painting, sponging, and spraying. This layered approach provides depth and enhances the mood, personality, and emotional core of each piece.
The exploration of surface continues in Marina's sculptural vessels. This body of work is a structural study inspired by the dramatic interplay between human-built architecture and enduring natural forms. The foundation of the texture is built using a technique Marina calls “Block Lacing,” where hundreds of sliced clay blocks are artfully constructed to form a strong, columnar architecture.
This structural work captures the repetitive verticality found in both sleek modern towers and the deep striations of petrified wood or arid desert cliffs. Firing methods reinforce this dual inspiration: a Wood Firing emphasizes the natural surfaces of the earth, while an Electric Firing yields the cleaner, more refined surfaces associated with building materials.
Whether sculpting a portrait or constructing a vessel, Marina's work blends technical skill with raw creativity, inviting viewers to ponder unseen narratives within both the human form and the landscapes that contain it. Her goal is to reveal the extraordinary in the seemingly ordinary stories, structures, and surfaces of our lives.