Marina Altukhova's studio, Chelyabinsk, Russia.
MILADO ART GALLERY: Why is it so wonderful to be an artist?
MARINA ALTUKHOVA: It grants you freedom, the ability to create anything you want, and to meet inspiring and talented people.
MILADO ART GALLERY: How do you define art?
MARINA ALTUKHOVA: For me, art is a dialogue with myself. Through creativity, I learn more about who I am, what inspires me, and what resonates with me in this world. It connects me to people, nature, and the cities I travel to. Art fills life with meaning. Art is life to me.
Marina Altukhova, Raw, 2025, and In Between Two Worlds, 2023.
MILADO ART GALLERY: When did you realise you wanted to be an artist?
MARINA ALTUKHOVA: I’ve been drawing since my childhood. I was passionate about comics and portraits and took part in many art contests. But I only truly realised I wanted to become an artist in 2022. Even after getting an art education in Malaysia, I was working for a long time as a content manager, designer, and translator, but I still kept painting on paper and canvas. It was clear to me that my heart was set on art. When the war [between Russia and Ukraine] began, I lost my main job and decided to take a risk and go all in on art. I’ve never regretted it. It’s a blessing to follow your heart and soul.
MILADO ART GALLERY: Why did you first choose to study Japanese language at Chelyabinsk State University before pursuing art?
MARINA ALTUKHOVA: I’ve been fascinated with Asia since childhood: with culture, language, anime, and manga. I admire how Japan honours and preserves its history; it allows you to truly feel its cultural heritage. That’s why I chose the Japanese language. I also applied to an art school but didn’t get a scholarship. My parents said, “If you didn’t get a scholarship, go and get a ‘real’ education then.” [laughing]
MILADO ART GALLERY: How did Japanese culture influence your artistic style?
MARINA ALTUKHOVA: For a long time, I painted mostly Asian faces. It’s not as visible so much now, but I still return to those features. My works also have a certain graphic quality, reminiscent of ukiyo-e, a Japanese woodblock printing technique.
Marina Altukhova, Indefinite series, 2024.
MILADO ART GALLERY: Why did you choose to study at the Malaysian Institute of Art?
MARINA ALTUKHOVA: Asia has always had a huge place in my heart. I considered going to study in either Malaysia, Singapore, China, or Japan. But China was taken off the list because of the language, Japan and Singapore because of the cost. In Malaysia, education was conducted in English, and tuition was about the same as in Chelyabinsk. Also, I was fascinated by the country’s cultural diversity and vibrant energy.
MILADO ART GALLERY: How did it feel studying in Malaysia, coming from Chelyabinsk?
MARINA ALTUKHOVA: It was a cultural shock! Studying at the Malaysian Institute of Art blew my mind. I remember worrying: “When will we study human anatomy?” And they replied, “That’s something you study on your own.” There were no textbooks, as the main focus was on independent thinking and development. That experience broadened my artistic perspective, and I had a chance to explore not just painting but also installation, performance, and printing.
Marina Altukhova printing series: linocut, etching, and woodcut, 2025.
MILADO ART GALLERY: What inspired you in Malaysia?
MARINA ALTUKHOVA: The colours! Malaysia is full of colours, and you see them everywhere – at traditional ceremonies, street festivals, and temples. And the Chinese New Year is a radiant explosion of colour and emotion.
MILADO ART GALLERY: How does the art scene in Chelyabinsk differ from the Malaysian one?
MARINA ALTUKHOVA: It’s hard to grow professionally in Chelyabinsk, as the conservative academic mindset still dominates people’s perception of art. It’s difficult to build a dialogue with the audience outside the small art world community, and there are almost no commercial galleries for contemporary art in Chelyabinsk, so you have to go to Moscow for that.
MILADO ART GALLERY: What inspires you in Russia?
MARINA ALTUKHOVA: I’m fascinated by the mindset of Russian people, especially those who’ve never left and don’t want to see what’s beyond the country. It’s suffocating, but at the same time, the stubborn, unbreakable, fearless Russian spirit inspires me. My focus in work now is not so much about the environment that surrounds me, but about everything I absorbed in Malaysia - that explosion of colours and cultural fusion.
Marina Altukhova's studio details, Chelyabinsk, Russia.
MILADO ART GALLERY: What is your art about?
MARINA ALTUKHOVA: I explore themes of intentional solitude, escapism, and the shadow side of personality. In the current information overload, I often want to disappear, to hide in the forest and be left alone. My paintings blend the abstract and the real, connecting the inner world with the external one through objects, colours, and the balance between emptiness and intensity.
MILADO ART GALLERY: Why does the theme of solitude appeal to you?
MARINA ALTUKHOVA: By nature, I’m an introvert - I love being alone, it gives me strength and energy. People often fear solitude because it forces them to truly see themselves and accept who they are, without filters or illusions. But if you look at it differently, solitude is a beautiful process of growth. It’s a time to turn inward and listen to your own soul. I want my works to inspire viewers to that inner dialogue, not to criticise the world around them, but to look within.
Marina Altukhova in the studio working on Memories, 2025.
MILADO ART GALLERY: Your paintings are full of movement and energy. Why is that important to you?
MARINA ALTUKHOVA: Because movement is life. I want my paintings to “breathe,” for the viewer to feel the wind, energy, and a fleeting moment. My beloved teacher, Huan Tai Mei, used to say: “Dynamics come not only from what you paint but from the artist’s own inner rhythm.”
MILADO ART GALLERY: Who are the protagonists of your paintings?
MARINA ALTUKHOVA: I don’t portray specific individuals, though at times my own features appear in them. The female image feels closer to me, as I understand it deeply and feel it from the inside, making it easier to speak sincerely through it.
Marina Altukhova, Wild Flower, 2025, and Listening, 2025.
MILADO ART GALLERY: Why do you focus on the face or head while leaving the body less detailed?
MARINA ALTUKHOVA: Emotions are reflected primarily in the face and the hands, in their gestures and tension. The human face is so diverse, filled with subtle nuances. I enjoy the process of shaping emotion out of nothing, almost like a sculptor.
MILADO ART GALLERY: Why do you connect the human figure with nature?
MARINA ALTUKHOVA: It’s all about returning to our origins. Today, anything we want can be obtained instantly. People accumulate unnecessary things, forgetting their roots. In my paintings, I try to surround my characters with air, with nature, to give them space for solitude and reconnection with what truly matters.
MILADO ART GALLERY: Why do you often depict a panther?
MARINA ALTUKHOVA: The panther symbolises the shadow side of personality, a predator that attacks from the dark, hidden by its camouflage. The shadow side is what we rarely see: anger, rage, vices, our unaccepted “other self.” But, like a panther, it can be tamed, understood, and accepted as part of who we are.
Marina Altukhova, Balancing, 2025.
MILADO ART GALLERY: What does the confetti in your paintings represent?
MARINA ALTUKHOVA: It started with my series “Intentional Solitude.” Confetti symbolises celebration and the joy of being alone with yourself. Through its shimmer, colours, and play of light, it evokes a sense of delight. In the Wind of Change painting, confetti creates the feeling of a light breeze, a wind of transformation. Even though change can be difficult, there’s always something bright and festive within it.
Marina Altukhova, Wind of change, 2025.
MILADO ART GALLERY: Your palette is rich and bold, reminiscent of the Fauves. What does this bright palette and colour, red in particular, symbolise for you?
MARINA ALTUKHOVA: Brightness, for me, is a rebellion against academicism. Red has deep roots in history; it’s the colour of fire, life, and energy. In my paintings, it embodies strength, vitality, and forward motion.
MILADO ART GALLERY: How do you work with body language in your art?
MARINA ALTUKHOVA: I move away from the traditional male gaze on the female body, focusing instead on inner states. My figures often appear in relaxed poses, not erotic, but natural and comfortable.
Marina Altukhova, Pure Bliss, 2025.
MILADO ART GALLERY: What inspired your “Hands” series? What do the red, sensuous fingertips symbolise?
MARINA ALTUKHOVA: Hands symbolise the way we experience the world. A child learns the world through touch, through the sense of texture and form. When you squeeze your hand tightly, your fingers turn red; it’s a sign of life, energy, and emotion. Through the hands, the inner and outer worlds connect the body with the soul.
MILADO ART GALLERY: How do you approach a new work? Do you make sketches, take photos, or work intuitively?
MARINA ALTUKHOVA: I start with sketches; they serve as a guide, a direction. They’re rarely in colour. On the canvas, I experiment freely with colour, movement, and layers. I always leave room for spontaneity and transformation.
Process: Marina Altukhova, The Kiss, 2025.
MILADO ART GALLERY: Are there any particular techniques that inspire you right now?
MARINA ALTUKHOVA: I’m returning to printmaking and would love to study engraving soon. I’m fascinated by how layering works and colours interact with each other throughout the process.
Marina Altukhova's studio with works from the most recent series, Chelyabinsk.
MILADO ART GALLERY: What are you working on now?
MARINA ALTUKHOVA: I’m in an experimental phase right now, moving away from realism and introducing more incompleteness into my work. I’m playing with scale, bringing faces closer or dissolving figures into abstract space.
Next year, I’ll have a solo exhibition in Yekaterinburg, Russia. I’m excited to work within the space of the Yekaterinburg Museum and to continue exploring the theme of the shadow side of personality through new paintings and installations made of glass, mirrors, and foil. There will be many opportunities for viewers to interact with light and art.
MILADO ART GALLERY: We are looking forward to the museum exhibition opening. Thank you, Marina, for such an honest and insightful conversation.
