The COMM

Marina Fini’s Bringing Joy to the World with Trippy Art

From running a feminist strip club (which was shut down by authorities, twice) to going on a cross-country road-trip delivering art and jewellery—there’s never a dull moment with Marina Fini. If Sailor Moon saves the world in the name of the moon, Marina is saving the world in the name of colour, light and joy.

Hailing from Los Angeles, California Marina has had an interest in art ever since she was a child. While majoring in film (her minor was in costuming), Marina fell in love with fantasy photoshoots, video projects and set design. She soon mastered laser cutting—and the rest is history!

“I feel called to create spaces that help others heal
so we can feel collectively better as humans.”

Four and a half years ago, Marina discovered Snoezelen (a treatment developed in the 70s for people with autism and developmental disabilities). She was in awe of how these hyper-sensory environments were used to help kids with disabilities relax and communicate. Around the same time, Marina also experienced an intense spiritual awakening: one that motivated her to radically celebrate life and to help others realize their potential. She then became certified in Reiki (a form of spiritual energy healing with Japanese origins). Her experiences and background undoubtedly set Fini on a path of spiritual healing. “I feel called to create spaces that help others heal so we can feel collectively better as humans”, Marina explains. Fini’s aim is to create art installations that act as healing spaces by infusing healing energy into the pieces she makes.

 

Image courtesy of Luci Crystal.

Driven by this purpose, Marina transforms dull spaces into spectacles of colour. “I really like taking people out of normal reality and into a very hyper-colour healing atmosphere”, Marina tells us. As a firm believer in colour therapy, Marina makes ample use of colour in her art installations because they bring joy to all people. And with the rainbow being the ultimate symbol of colour, it’s only natural that it is a fundamental part of Marina’s work. “[It] represents everything, all aspects of reality, joy, and existence. It’s like the most inclusive thing in the world, in my opinion.” Rainbow Bath House, Marina’s largest and longest-running installation to date, is a true testament to her love of the well-known light phenomenon.

 

 

Mirrors, plexiglass and holographic materials are also typical elements found in a Marina Fini piece. Her usage of reflective materials allows Fini to bend reality. The result? A psychedelic experience that manipulates light transmission and our perception of reality. “It’s very strange, it’s almost like being hypnotized,” Marina explains.

But, industrial materials aren’t the only mediums being utilised by Fini. The essential elements of Marina’s work are her eye-catching costumes, colourful set designs, and handmade wearables. For instance, in her music video with Nitty Scott titled, “Kaleidoscopes”, Marina turns her models into exaggerated versions of themselves as she takes us on a psychedelic journey to a technicoloured alternative reality called “QUEER AF”. While in her photography work for The Slather Sisters, Fini perfectly captures the unapologetically feminine spirit of the gorgeous trio with a futuristic rainbow rainforest serving as the backdrop.

However, Marina’s artistic path isn’t without turmoil. “[It’s] very strange because I’m an environmentalist but I am working with plexiglass. I’m like an oxymoron.” Marina only uses plastic to analyse our world but that doesn’t make it any less problematic for her. She finds a compromise by approaching plastic as if it was gold. Her ultimate aim is to create permanent pieces.

 

Image courtesy of Ross Feighery.

Fini has also dealt with that age-old problem: sell your soul and make money or stay true to yourself and live a life of mung beans. “I have done things that maybe aren’t in alignment with me, but I also feel like…there’s no mistakes, and there’s no right and wrong.” Her advice for aspiring artists? Don’t listen to other people’s opinions and learn to take risks! “You just need to keep believing in yourself and stop listening to the external world…and not expect validation from anyone else but yourself.” Her most significant artistic risks, Motelscape and GODDESSPHERE have put Marina Fini on the map, drawing the attention of Miley Cyrus, Baddie Winkle, Meow Wolf, VICE, Dazed, and more.

From creating rainbow installations to music videos, Marina Fini is so much more than a multimedia artist. Marina is an artist determined to spread colour, light and joy through her work. She’s an infinite, mystical maestro and we can’t wait to see more of her art!

 

Written by Vania.
Featured image courtesy of Abe Heath.