Yulia Pinkusevich

Born and raised in the USSR and relocating to New York City at age 9, Pinkusevich’s world view has been rooted in change. Her ability to adapt and observe has served as a central tool for harnessing a unique and fluid vision. With some authors claiming that Malevich’s Suprematism is rooted in traditional Ukranian culture, Pinkusevich follows the footsteps of Malevich defining his “additional element” as the quality of any new visual environment bringing about a change in perception …with a series of aerial views rendering the familiar landscape into an abstraction.

Presenting an immersive visual environment that stays true to an architectural design methodology is an ongoing pursuit for Pinkusevich. It is ever present in her installations using salvaged everyday materials and it is how she guides her examination of the intersection of urban and rural economies. Commenting on the price of progress within the grander scale of time, she uses discarded, well worn man-made materials as effectively as natural materials, such as salt, that erode away during the course of an installation. The juxtaposition of these ephemeral materials forces us to see time as a construct, ultimately reminding us of the fragile, intimate relationship we hold with the Earth.

Yulia Pinkusevich’s work has been featured in the United States and abroad including site-specific installations for Cite des Arts, Paris, Google HQ, Facebook Menlo Park, Loka Art Space in New Mexico, a Jail Cell Residency at Alter Space in collaboration with Recology, San Francisco; and a public installation in Buenos Aires. She has received fellowships from the Headland Center for the Arts, The Goldwell Open Air Museum, and The Bay Area Public Art Academy. Her list of completed residencies has included the Cite Des Arts International Studio Residency in Paris and the Recology AIR program in San Francisco, among others. Yulia has also been the recipient of the The Helen Wurlitzer Foundation Residency Grant, The San Francisco Foundation Phelan Murphy & Cadogan Award, and a number of Stanford University grants, including; the SPARK SiCA grant, the SICA ASSU Grant, and the Stanford University Graduate Tuition and Stipend Grant.

Pinkusevich holds a BFA from Rutgers University and an MFA from Stanford University. Following her time as a lecturer at Stanford, she has recently joined the faculty of Mills College. Yulia currently lives and works in Oakland, absorbing inspiration from the local architecture and landscape.