Photograph by Ben Rollins
Marina Skye describes herself as a “mood magician”—best known for helping design Atlanta’s Trap Music Museum. After the tragic loss of her brother made her rethink her career, the Clark Atlanta graduate left her marketing job to become a creative director in the music industry. She spent two years designing sets for free and testing ideas at her own home to build her portfolio. The hard work paid off, and now, she helps produce videos, installations, and stage sets for artists like 21 Savage, Big Boi, and Summer Walker.
Neighborhood: Cascade
Fave Medium: Repurposing found objects
Inspiration hunt: I’ve trained my mind to see the potential in everything around me. Nature trails and the Atlanta Botanical Garden are my go-to locations for recharging.
Style Statement: Unapologetically me. I wake up every day with a different theme.
More A-list clients: Jidenna, K Camp, 2 Chainz, SZA, T.I., and TDE
Dream Collab: Ruth Carter, Es Devlin, Virgil Abloh (RIP)
On creating a mood: When an artist sends me a track, I play the music over and over and transform a feeling into visuals. From there, I build a mood board and a mock-up of the space.
Closet Essentials: Chucks, a jumpsuit, and a Telfar bag
Color, Pattern, or Texture? Texture
New and Next: A photo gallery and experience scheduled to open this month in Underground Atlanta, with 10 to 15 nature-themed mini-sets and an event space
This article appears in our February 2022 issue.
