10 Questions with Sofiya Bokareva
Sofiya Bokareva is a young multidisciplinary artist integrated into several different directions - sculpture, painting, ceramics, drawing, and design. Sofiya combines her creative work with curatorial activities in the field of art, holding the position of Associate Director and official representative at Art-Prime Gallery. At a young age, Sofiya has numerous prestigious national and international awards in the field of art and has an extensive education in the leading art institutions.
Sofiya's artistic journey began in early childhood, particularly within her family - her grandfather, an outstanding sculptor Viktor Bokarev, and her father, a sculptor and ceramist, Denis Bokarev. Since childhood, Sofiya has been immersed in various forms of art, which has fostered her versatile approach and interdisciplinary mindset.
Sofiya embarked on her professional artistic path in 2019 when she first passed one of the most challenging national competitive selections at the Sirius Educational Center for Talented and Gifted Children, which is one of the most prestigious art residences in Russia. After completing eight educational programs in the field of academic art offered by leading artistic institutions such as the Imperial Academy of Arts at the St. Petersburg State Academic Institute of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture named after I.Y. Repin, Stroganov Moscow State Academy of Arts and Industry, and the Sergei Andriyaka Academy of Watercolor and Fine Arts, Sofiya was included in the National Register of persons of extraordinary abilities in Russia.
From 2019 to 2022, Sofiya continued her education at the Gzhel State University, which has been considered the national center for traditional ceramics and artistic porcelain production in Russia for centuries. In 2022, Sofiya graduated with honors, receiving a Decorative and Applied Arts degree. Throughout her studies, Sofiya received the Russian Federation Government Scholarship for special merits in Science and Art. She was also twice awarded the Student of the Year Award in the categories of Art Student of the Year (2020) and Professional of the Year (2021), as well as three times receiving the Laureate title at the International Festival "Blue Bird of Gzhel".
After completing her studies at Gzhel University, Sofiya transitioned from a curator role to the position of Associate Director at Art-Prime Gallery. She began serious work on the gallery's projects, founded in 1993 by her grandfather, the outstanding sculptor Viktor Bokarev.
Once oppressed for many years in Russia, the independent gallery is now starting to develop internationally as a dynamic cultural institution that not only preserves the outstanding artistic heritage of its founders but, first of all, as a team of professionals, creates innovative projects in real-time. The gallery is now co-led by Sofiya Bokareva and her father, Denis Bokarev.
At the age of 20, Sofiya Bokareva already has an extensive artistic background, exhibitions in leading institutions in Russia, and memberships in professional unions. Alongside her curatorial and organizational activities, Sofiya is developing as an independent artist and designer.
Sofiya Bokareva - Portrait
ARTIST STATEMENT
“From a young age, I’ve been immersed in a world of visual arts and design, nurtured by a family of outstanding artists and sculptors. I acquired fundamental skills and delved into various artistic realms — sculpture, drawing, painting, and ceramics. This versatile approach enabled me to recognize the profound interconnectedness among artistic disciplines.
My journey included rigorous training at the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts, Gzhel Art Institute, Sergei Andriyaka Academy of Watercolor, and St. Petersburg State Academic Institute of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture, named after I.Y. Repin, shaping my command over the Classical Academic style, which became a basis of my artistic practice. Knowledge of the fundamentals, Anatomy, and Color Theory gave me the opportunity and skills to move forward in a creative environment. Though my passion spans various artistic domains, sculpture holds a special place in my artistic experience. In my creative artworks, I seek to reveal the eternal questions about Truth, Life, Time, Past and Ancestors, War and Peace, and specific aspects of Science and Philosophy.
My family has been oppressed for three generations - and I am the third. The difficult environment in which I grew up and my family’s background has strongly influenced my art. Especially now, in these difficult times, when such truly terrifying and tragic events are happening in my homeland, Art has become, for me, a place where I have a voice, a choice, and true freedom. Art, for me, is a way of defending the truth.
I am passionate about trying new materials, forms, colors, shapes, lines, textures, and rhythm - all the details create meaningful symbols and ways to convey thought.
Dedicated to continuous growth, I also study Curatorial Studies and Art History, enhancing my theoretical understanding of the fine arts. Simultaneously, I embrace the role of an Art Curator and Associate Director, leading and managing exhibition projects while weaving my creative pursuits into my multidisciplinary art practice.”
— Sofiya Bokareva
The GOATs, ceramics, 7x20 cm, 2023 © Sofiya Bokareva
INTERVIEW
Art runs deep in your family. But do you remember when you first realized you wanted to be an artist yourself? And what keeps you motivated?
Art is truly not only essential but literally an integral part of my family across multiple generations. I have been immersed in art since I was a child, and it has always been an intrinsic aspect of my childhood and growing up. At the beginning of my journey, I practiced art independently and learned through my personal experiences, as well as through the shared knowledge of my family. From the age of 15, I embarked on a transformative journey by starting to participate in professional educational programs at one of the most competitive and prestigious residencies for young artists, Sirius Educational Center, where collaborating with esteemed professors from the leading national art institutions became a turning point for me. What had always been an integral part of me suddenly became equally captivating.
Throughout my career, even in the most challenging times—facing my family's and our gallery's oppression, political constraints, and war in my homeland, art remained the only place where I have had a voice and choice, where I find freedom, and this is my motivation.
How did you develop into the artist you are today?
Practice, practice, and more practice - never forced, but always approached with sincerity and eagerness, with a genuine passion for the process and aspiration for the result. Academic and Classical Fine Arts have largely formed the foundation of skills that now enable me to bring my ideas and creative visions to life. And, of course, versatility and courage in experimentation - this has played a key role in my artistic development. Guiding me in this pursuit was my grandfather, outstanding sculptor Viktor Bokarev. He exemplified unwavering courage and creative expression, free from doubts and fears, while consistently emphasizing the importance of continuous practice.
Dance, ceramics, 30 cm, 2021 © Sofiya Bokareva
You are both an artist, working with several different mediums, and a curator. How would you define yourself and your practice nowadays?
My experience and background have paved the way for me to become a multidisciplinary specialist, and I think this has defined me not only as an artist but also as a person. For me, it's this kind of versatility that gives me strong motivation and engages me. For me, these are inherently connected parts of a cohesive whole. Currently, I'm focused on striking a balance. Over the past six months, I've been focused on curatorial projects as Associate Director at Art-Prime, which I would assert is one of the most important projects and purposes in my life at the moment, and during this time, I've missed visual arts, and now I'm gradually reintegrating it into my daily life. Through my journey, I have learned to combine both roles and not lose my motivation and passion in either direction.
Let's talk about your work. Can you tell us about the process of creating your work? And where do you find inspiration?
My art has definitely evolved over the stages of my artistic and personal growth - initially something from my imagination, then academic art, investigating some specific topics and aspects that interest me, sometimes translating memories, feelings, and experiences into the material. The process is then active and expressive, then light and calm. But what does not change over time is where I find inspiration, and that is my whole life. I get goosebumps just contemplating how amazing life is, people and their unique stories, and everything around us in and of itself, and all of it is my endless source of inspiration.
Relay Race, copper wire, wood, 50x15 cm, 2022 © Sofiya Bokareva
What aspect of your work do you pay particular attention to? And what is the most challenging part of your work?
For me, the paramount aspect of every new creation is the idea — the thought and concept that serve as the foundational cornerstone of any work, whether it's a painting, sculpture, or sketch. I think this trait of idea and meaning also came to me from my grandfather because, as a child, I was genuinely impressed by the profound and thought-provoking themes he contemplated through his artworks. Identifying the most challenging part is difficult; perhaps one of the most demanding aspects is promptly creating work upon conceiving an idea. And I think that's the key to a successful work - to start it as soon as you got an idea, literally in a state of creative flow.
How do you approach such different mediums and styles?
The beginning of my multidisciplinary artistic experience runs in my family, and it's an amazing story. With a sculptor grandfather, a painter grandmother, and a ceramic artist father, I was fortunate to grow up surrounded by different art directions and experiences. And I just couldn't choose one thing, and I never had to. The freedom to explore became my guiding principle, enabling me to delve into a variety of mediums and styles. So I literally became a synthesis of the arts in my family, and it opened me to new facets of possibilities and materials and allowed me to feel the inextricable connection of all these directions and mediums.
Sepia portrait, Sepia, 30x50 cm, 2019 © Sofiya Bokareva
Venus de Milo, paper, graphite pencil, 50x70 cm, 2019 © Sofiya Bokareva
What are the main themes and subjects of your work?
To pinpoint the main themes in my art is akin to describing my thoughts, as it's always different, and they continually evolve. Currently, I find a deep resonance with themes such as war and peace, religion, science, and philosophical concepts. My artworks now are a field for my reasoning, for asking questions and finding answers in the process.
What are you working on now, and what are your plans for the future? Anything exciting you can tell us about?
I'm always working on something exciting. Regarding my role as Associate Director at Art-Prime, I am developing a very exciting large-scale project. I am negotiating a unique collaboration, but since the project is still in its early stages. I can't talk about it in much detail, I will just say that it is related to music and the music industry, namely to one of the greatest composers in history, Alexander Scriabin. This is an outstanding artistic and musical concept that we, as the Art-Prime team, are developing, and I look forward to realizing it and presenting it to the public.
In terms of visual arts, both in the present and in the near future, I intend to dedicate more time to ceramics and wheel throwing. I have a few ideas I want to pursue this fall, which are a series of music-themed ceramic sculptures and a collection of variations of pottery forms.
Angel, pottery ceramics, 35 cm, 2021 © Sofiya Bokareva
You have already had significant experiences in the art world, both nationally and internationally. What else do you hope to accomplish this year, both in terms of career goals and personal life?
My main goal now, both as an Associate Director of Art-Prime and as an independent artist, is to work internationally. As a representative of Art-Prime, I have a lot to show, so I am actively engaged in developing several monumental projects with the aim and hope of realizing them in the United States. Simultaneously, I will work on pursuing my aspiration dedicated to the community: to present our gallery's unparalleled art collection to a diverse international audience and the global art community.
I am also delighted to share that I have become a member of the International Association of Art affiliated to UNESCO, and this opens up new opportunities for me as an artist, and I am planning to actively participate in various competitions and exhibitions throughout this year as an independent artist.
Finally, where do you see yourself and your work five years from now?
In today's modern and so rapidly changing circumstances, it is difficult to guess, but quite possible by setting clear goals.
Art-Prime, as an art institution, transcends physical confines — it's a dynamic team committed to ambitious projects. Currently, I lead this team, and I'm enthusiastic and excited about spearheading numerous significant projects in the forthcoming years.
Although the gallery endured an oppressive history in Russia, we have expanded our reach to an international scale, and most of our current and future projects are dreamed of being realized in the United States as the center of the world's cultural and technological progress.
I may not know what will happen five years from now, but one thing is certain: I will do my best to develop my company as the independent, fair, equal, and inclusive arts institution that its mission became decades ago.
Artist’s Talk
Al-Tiba9 Interviews is a promotional platform for artists to articulate their vision and engage them with our diverse readership through a published art dialogue. The artists are interviewed by Mohamed Benhadj, the founder & curator of Al-Tiba9, to highlight their artistic careers and introduce them to the international contemporary art scene across our vast network of museums, galleries, art professionals, art dealers, collectors, and art lovers across the globe.
