Brian Kokoska’s figurative paintings and installations explore tensions between domesticity and adolescence, youth subcultures and utopian ideals. The artist draws from both memory and observation to create works that depict snippets from his daily life alongside childhood memories and small-town mysticism. Kokoska sometimes contextualizes his paintings by placing them in large monochromatic installations—psychological spaces where viewers interact with the artist’s painting and sculpture.

BIO:

Brian Kokoska was born in Burnaby, Canada in 1988. The artist received his BFA from Emily Carr University of Art & Design in Vancouver, Canada in 2010.

Solo exhibitions of Kokoska’s work have taken place at: Sunny NY in New York City (2022); Pastures of Plenty at Osmos Station (with Félix González-Torres) in Stamford, New York (2020); The Pony Keeper at Chateau Du Fey in Burgundy, France (2018); Trauma Sauna at Ashes/Ashes in Los Angeles, California (2016); Hush Hook at LOYAL in Stockholm, Sweden (2015); Poison IV at Valentin in Paris, France (2015); and Rare Angel at American Medium (with Debo Eilers) in Brooklyn, New York (2014). 

Group exhibitions that have included Kokoska’s work have taken place at: Foxy Production in New York City (2018); Golsa in Oslo, Norway (2018); Frank F. Yang Art & Education Foundation in Shenzhen, China (2016); COMA in Sydney, Australia (2016); The Power Plant in Toronto, Canada (2016); Adams and Ollman in Portland, Oregon (2015); Nicelle Beauchene in New York City (2015); UICA in Grand Rapids, Michigan (2014); and the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, Canada (2013).

Kokoska lives and works in Mineral Springs, New York.