An Interview with VLADIMIR KUSH - See Ad

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Although many people liken your work to the surrealism of Dali, you are said to have developed your own style of “metaphorical realism” long before ever viewing any of his paintings. How would you describe your approach?

KUSH: There is a tendency to search for a universal creative language, where the “heavenly” is next to the “earthly” and the real is next to the fantastic. While it is hard to deny the realism, which is so familiar to people living in the real world, it is also impossible to reject the aesthetic and beautiful things brought to us by realism during the centuries. That is why realism is the first ingredient in my artistic recipe (credo).

The second ingredient is the metaphor, the combination of the ideal and real— the double world. Metaphor is a bridge between the two, and the deeper the abyss between them, the more exciting the construction. A refined technique will make you believe in the reality of the idea on the canvas; at the same time, the viewer will always feel the mystery, which has no rational explanation…

Sometimes the painting lacks one detail. And finally, after the artist finds that detail with his inner sight, the whole painting is put together.

Tell us about the most satisfying aspect of your work.

KUSH: The best time in my work is when the idea and the vision of the future painting is already brought together in my mind, while the canvas is still waiting for the first touch of the brush. It takes only a moment, and I am in the world that I have created myself.

How did you decide to move to Maui?

KUSH: For me, the Hawaiian Islands were the paradise of my dreams. The arrow of my compass always pointed to exotic countries, and one of my earliest works in oil, painted when I was 12, showed a huge wave falling on Hawaiian shores. I came to Maui for the first time in 1989, and my fantasy about the beauty of the islands, about being lost in the ocean, found its ground. Since then I decided that Hawai‘i would become my new home.

Has living on Maui changed you as a person? How has it affected your art?

KUSH: Life on Maui has influenced my art in many ways. The world full of colors was now in front of me, feeding the colors of my palette… Here I have become a professional artist. When I came to the U.S., I could appreciate that boundless artistic freedom, since I spent my youth within the cuffs of “social realism.” My work also has influenced the art scene on Maui, since some artists have tried to imitate my style or even ideas, mostly to fail.

One of the most meaningful experiences I’ve had here was when I opened my own gallery— the gate opened in front of me. Now I have four galleries. The United States- and the world- has recognized me. People write to me and come to see my artwork from all over the globe.

What is the most significant response you have had to the positive impact your paintings offer?

KUSH: The best recognition came from a gift I received from a school in San Diego. The whole class of teenagers presented me with an album of poems and drawings, all inspired by my art. And it was not just imitation— it was a whole new world, and I was deeply touched by that.

Where are your galleries located?

KUSH: My galleries are located in Lahaina, Maui at 820 Front St.; in Laguna Beach, CA, in Las Vegas (Desert Passage) and in New York City.