Marina Vladimirovna Fedorova (Russian: Марина Владимировна Фёдорова born 8 May 1981) is a Russian figurative artist and painter based in Munich. Fedorova was nominated for the Kandinsky Prize.
Her works are held in collections, including the Hermitage-Vyborg Center of the State Hermitage Museum and the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Biography
Marina Fedorova was born on May 8, 1981 in the city of Leningrad, USSR.
She began her professional art education in 1996 when she enrolled in the N.K. Roerich Art School in St. Petersburg (formerly Leningrad, renamed 1991). She graduated in 2000 and subsequently entered the Stieglitz State Academy of Art and Design, formerly known as the Vera Mukhina Art School, where she majored in Fashion Design and Illustration. In 2006, during her public diploma defense, Fedorova staged a performance in which nearly nude models walked the runway holding canvases painted with dresses; the final dress was painted live on stage by the artist herself.
Since 2001, Fedorova’s works have been exhibited in numerous international cities, including St. Petersburg, Moscow, Paris, Genoa, Málaga, Helsinki, Dubai, Riyadh, and Shanghai. She has participated in several international art fairs, such as Art Stage Singapore, Art Moscow, Art Paris, Art Monaco, Art Bologna, Art Vilnius, Art Kyiv, Art Helsinki, Art Marbella, Art Dubai, Jingart Beijing, and Art021 Shanghai.
In 2007, Fedorova participated as the official designer for the XVII International Ballet Festival Mariinsky. She also contributed to a charity gala auction supported by Christie's at the State Russian Museum 2010 and in the London Auctions in 2016. Additionally, she presented the exhibition NY/New You at the parallel program of the VI Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art.
In 2020, she launched the first installment of her Cosmodreams exhibitions series, which combines traditional painting with augmented reality elements. The Cosmodreams project explores the interaction between the cosmos and the glamorous world on Earth. Subsequent solo exhibitions in the Cosmodreams series include: Elementa and Journey with Cosmodreams. The Cosmodreams series examines the relationship between Earth and the cosmos and features over 100 works across various media, including VR and digital art. The project has expanded to venues in Shanghai and Dubai.
In 2021, Fedorova announced a collaboration with the national postal operator Russian Post and the St. Petersburg Planetarium to commemorate the international Cosmonautics Day and Yuri's Night celebrations. Throughout April, a limited edition postcard created for the 60th anniversary of the first human spaceflight and featuring an AR design based on one of the artist’s works, Sunset, was available for postage.
Artistry
Fedorova’s works reflect life in the modern metropolis, portraying ordinary people as the central figures in her paintings. She depicts everyday events and characters in familiar settings, with her style characterized by an idealization of subjects and a focus on highlighting beauty in the ordinary. Fedorova’s artwork is shaped by twentieth-century futuristic philosophies, examining topics such as the future, the cosmos, nature, and humanity through a female perspective.
Fedorova deliberately leaves her paintings "incomplete" as a defining aspect of her pictorial style. The figures and objects in her works often appear to float in a state of weightlessness. By manipulating spatial composition and focus, she directs the viewer’s attention to elements like the gaze of her protagonist or an object emotionally "enlivened" by the artist.
The same incompleteness is inherent in the plot of Fedorova’s paintings. Rather than illustrating the climax of an event, Fedorova depicts its anticipation or lingering aftermath.
Her work is influenced by American hyperrealism, pop art, and modernism. Fedorova draws inspiration from well-known contemporary artists, such as Alex Kanevsky, Eric Fischl, Alex Katz, and Georgia O'Keeffe.
Cosmodreams Cosmodreams is the exhibition series by Fedorova debuted in 2020 at the Erarta Museum of Contemporary Art in St. Petersburg, Russia, where Fedorova explored the relationship between Earth and the cosmos. The work reflects Fedorova’s contemplation of the universe and humanity's position within it, presenting a microcosmic view of society in contrast to the vastness of space. The project consists of seven units: Nature, Metropolia, Birthplace, Life on Earth, Life in Space, Legacies and Deep Space.
Central to many pieces in the exhibition is the portrayal of a female figure, depicted in a 1950s fashion editorial style. These heroines are presented in vibrant, contemporary dresses that stand out against surreal, otherworldly backgrounds. As part of the exhibition, Fedorova created over 100 paintings, several fibre-optic sculptures, videos, VR programs, a website, and a printed catalogue. The paintings were enhanced with AR to create multisensory immersive experience and through the mobile app Cosmodreams: Art in AR, viewers could interact with the pieces by watching their narratives unfold in real-time. Parts of the exhibition were also shown in Moscow's Zaryadye Park as part of the 60th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's flight.
Fedorova also presented Cosmodreams: Exploring the Infinite, also known as the Journey of Cosmodreams in 2024. The exhibition was shown at Powerlong Museum in Shanghai and features multiple mediums, including painting, sculpture, digital art, and virtual reality. The exhibition covered an area of 700 square meters and was divided into five distinct zones. The theme explores the fusion of reality and fantasy through depictions of outer space, futuristic cities, and the connection between nature and human emotion.
Another extension of the Cosmodreams project is the exhibition Cosmodreams: Elementa. The exhibition, which was shown in 2025 at the Fann À Porter Gallery in Dubai, among other locations, focuses on the connection between the elements and mankind, showcasing futuristic landscapes that juxtapose technological progress with the natural world.
Acquisitions and auctions Fedorova’s works were acquired by institutions and private collectors worldwide, including the Hermitage-Vyborg Center of the State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia, the D137 Gallery in St. Petersburg, Russia, the State Russian Museum as well as at the SONS (Shoes or No Shoes) museum in Kruishoutem, Belgium.
Private collections Fedorova’s works are held in various private collections: Laurent Boutonnat Collection, France Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne House Collection, France Pierre Brochet Collection, France Ilya Lagutenko Collection, Russia Artemy Troitsky Collection, Estonia Victor Dzodziev Collection, Russia Mikhail Tsaryov Collection, Moscow Contemporary Art Collectors’ Club, Russia.
Selected Museum and Foundation Collections In addition to private collectors, Fedorova’s pieces are part of museum and foundation collections: State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia Hermitage-Vyborg Center of the State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia The State Russian Art Gallery, Sevastopol, Russia D137 Gallery Foundation, St. Petersburg, Russia KGAL Art Gallery Foundation, Germany SONS Museum Foundation, Belgium Vasshuset Foundation, Luxembourg
International art auctions Fedorova’s works were sold at the following international art auctions:
Sotheby's Pierre Berge & Associes Millon — Cornette de Saint Cyr Litfund Vladey Sovcom
Solo and Group Exhibitions Fedorova has participated in a various solo and group exhibitions internationally: 2005: One Fine Day, solo exhibition, D137 Gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia 2006: Autumn Time, solo exhibition, D137 Gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia 2007: Living in Paris, solo exhibition, D137 Gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia Brief Encounters, solo exhibition, Orel Art Gallery, Paris, France Autumn Mood, solo exhibition, Galleria La Bertesca – Masnata, Genoa, Italy 2008: Lonely, solo exhibition, D137 Gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia Planet of Peace, foundation charity project exhibition participant, Moscow, Russia Lonely, solo exhibition, Winzavod Center of Contemporary Art, Moscow, Russia 2009: Retour — Stop — Cadre, solo exhibition, Orel Art Gallery, Paris, France 08.08.08, solo exhibition, D137 Gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia 2010: Bluebeard, solo exhibition, Inutero Panopticon Gallery, Moscow, Russia Christmas Exhibition, group show, Kremlin Gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia Christmas Exhibition, group show, Erarta Museum of Contemporary Art, St. Petersburg, Russia In Red, solo exhibition, Gallery Kadieff, Helsinki, Finland Love Stories, solo exhibition, Red Bridge Gallery, Vologda, Russia Consumer Society, solo exhibition, Citycelebrity Art Gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia Please me Fashion, solo exhibition, Mantua, Italy 2011: She Who Runs on the Waves, solo exhibition, Gallery Kadieff, Helsinki, Finland Close Up, solo exhibition, Prime Art Gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia Gates and Doors, group exhibition, State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia Stolichnaya, solo exhibition, Kremlin Gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia 2012: For Versace, solo exhibition, Gallery Kadieff, Helsinki, Finland Now or Never, solo exhibition, Ten 43 Gallery, NYC, USA Non-Accidental Encounters, solo exhibition, Lazarev Gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia 2013: Italy in My Heart, solo exhibition, Gallery Kadieff pop-up show, Venice, Italy Moments. Expectations, solo exhibition, К35 Art Gallery, Moscow, Russia 2014: Kresty, solo exhibition, Triumph Gallery, Moscow, Russia Dolce Vita, joint exhibition, St. Petersburg State Museum of Urban Sculpture, St. Petersburg, Russia 2015: Parallel, solo exhibition, К35 Art Gallery, Moscow, Russia NY/NewYou, solo exhibition, К35 Art Gallery, Moscow, Russia Prolonging the Summer, solo exhibition, Erarta Museum of Contemporary Art, St. Petersburg, Russia Biowoman Reproduction, group exhibition, Artmuza, St. Petersburg, Russia People and Mannequins, solo exhibition, House of the Stroganovs, Usolye, Perm Krai, Russia 2017: Infinity Road, solo exhibition, Urban Electric Transport Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia British Accent, solo exhibition, Grand Hotel Europe, St. Petersburg, Russia 2018: Diary of an Artist, solo exhibition, Art-Hall Gallery, Hermitage-Vyborg Center, Vyborg, Russia East of the Sun, joint exhibition with sculptor Dmitry Zhukov, K35 Art Gallery, Moscow, Russia 2019: Morphology of the Folktale, group exhibition, Arts Square Gallery, St. Petersburg, Russia 2020: Cosmodreams, solo exhibition, Erarta Museum of Contemporary Art, St. Petersburg, Russia 2023: Ethereal Echoes, joint exhibition with fashion designer Yousef Akbar, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 2024: Cosmodreams / Journey with Cosmodreams, solo exhibition, Powerlong Art Museum, Shanghai, China 2025: Cosmodreams: Elementa, solo exhibition, Fann à Porter Gallery, Dubai, UAE 2026: Art to Heart / United States - New York, United States
Art Fairs Fedorova has also taken part in numerous art fairs: 2005: Art Moscow by D137 Gallery, Russia 2006: Arte Fiera by D137 Gallery, Italy Art Moscow by D137 Gallery, Russia 2007: Art Moscow by D137 Gallery, Russia 2008: Art Paris by Orel Art Gallery, France 2010: Art Vilnius by D137 Gallery, Lithuania 2011: Art Helsinki by Kadieff Gallery, Finland 2012: Art Moscow by Lazarev Gallery, Russia Art Helsinki by Kadieff Gallery, Finland 2013: Art Stage Singapore by Lazarev Gallery, Singapore 2017/2018: Talented Art Fair, London 2019: Art Marbella, Spain 2022: ART021 Shanghai Contemporary Art Fair, Shanghai, China Dubai Design Week, Dubai, UAE Art Dubai, Dubai, UAE 2023: ART021 Shanghai Contemporary Art Fair, Shanghai, China 2024: ART021 Shanghai Contemporary Art Fair, Shanghai, China Hia Hub 4.0, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Jingart Contemporary Art Fair, Beijing, China
Awards and honors