Meet Margarita Kurtova | Artist, Illustrator & Founder of Cosmic Creations — creative branding and marketing studio

We had the good fortune of connecting with Margarita Kurtova and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Margarita, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
To be honest, I didn’t “come up” with the idea in one moment — it evolved through every brushstroke, every client project, every decision to trust my vision.

I’ve always been a visual person — deeply drawn to art, emotion, and aesthetics. But I’ve also always had a strategic mind. Even when I was creating illustrations or paintings, I was thinking about how they made people feel, how they communicated a message, how they could move someone.

Over time, I started to notice a pattern: whether I was painting, designing a brand, or drawing live at an event, people were drawn not just to the work — but to the energy, the meaning, the intentionality behind it.

That’s how the foundation for my business was born: I wanted to create a space where art, brand, and presence come together. Where beauty isn’t decoration — it’s direction.

Today, I run Cosmic Creations, a studio where we help companies build powerful brand systems with soul. But I’m also still an artist and fashion illustrator — I create expressive acrylic paintings, and I draw commercial and live at events and fashion shows for brands like Chanel, Bulgari, Porsche and others.

It may look like different roles on the outside — but to me, it’s one mission: to turn emotion into visuals, and visuals into transformation.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’ve wanted to be an artist for as long as I can remember. But when I was just starting out, over 15 years ago, I had no idea how to make a living through art. It felt like a beautiful dream — but not something I could build a career around.

So I began my path as a commercial illustrator and designer. I had the opportunity to illustrate for television — one of my favorite projects was creating a full set of character-based visuals for a major rebranding campaign for a entertainment channel formerly associated with MTV. Later I became fascinated by the fashion industry — the aesthetics, the elegance, the emotional presence behind every look. I started exploring fashion illustration, and that’s when everything changed.

One of my first major collaborations was with Giorgio Armani — drawing live fashion illustrations at their events. That opened the door to more: I illustrated campaigns and events for brands like Hyundai, Martini, and even co-created visuals with designers during Milan Fashion Week. Today, live event illustration is still a part of my practice — it’s a fast, emotional, high-touch way to connect with people through beauty.

But something was still calling me deeper.

Over the years, as I learned more about branding and marketing — and how to position creative work — I started to understand how to build a real business around fine art. I began painting on large canvas, developing a personal visual language that was layered, symbolic, and emotionally charged.

After moving to New York, I launched my first solo exhibition in Manhattan — Leap of Faith — a series of large-scale paintings inspired by Tarot archetypes. It wasn’t just about visuals; it was about energy, transformation, and meaning. These were the kinds of works I once couldn’t imagine having the freedom to create.

Now, I paint with depth and purpose. I create from the inside out. I’m not afraid of emotional complexity — I know how to shape it, communicate it, and invite others into it. And I’m proud that this work has opened doors — including upcoming collaborations with respected institutions and creative leaders.

For me, art isn’t separate from brand or strategy. It’s all part of the same mission: to express truth visually, to inspire clarity, and to create spaces — physical or emotional — where something real can be felt.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We’d start the morning at Ralph’s for that quiet old-New-York elegance — or Blue Bottle when I’m in the mood for something minimal and pure. Then a walk through the Upper East Side — there’s something timeless about the architecture, the soft rhythm of the streets, the cafés tucked between classic buildings. Take a walk along the River. In the evening, we’d head to Hudson Yards for a glass of champagne and a golden-hour skyline view from a rooftop like Dear Irving.

As much as people expect me to find inspiration in museums and galleries — and sometimes I do — what moves me more is architecture, people, sunlight, conversations, textures, and the beauty of everyday life. That’s the real gallery, if you know how to look.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Yes, I’ve built everything from scratch, but along the way, there were always people, ideas, and lessons, teachers and mentors that shaped me.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been learning. I’ve joined business communities, taken courses, studied branding, art, marketing, and coaching from different mentors around the world. I’ve always been someone who seeks knowledge — not just to grow, but to pass it on.

Over the years, I’ve been lucky to collaborate with brilliant fashion designers, creative professionals, and clients who have inspired me deeply — not only through their success, but through their courage to create something true.

And now, I feel a strong responsibility to give back. To share what I’ve learned. To mentor and support others just like I was once supported by those ahead of me.
That’s what keeps the creative world alive — the exchange, the generosity, the chain of inspiration.

Website: https://eventfashionart.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/margaritakurtova.brand/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritakurt/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ritakurt5