The themes that Kushaev works with are always connected, on one hand, with existential issues, and on the other hand, they rely on the history of art and the system of established cultural images. For Kushaev, the issue of interaction between the viewer and the image is important, which is why he works with the painting as a medium and with pictorial installations. These installations imply the combination of a "mural" spread out in space and a limited fragment of material, such as canvas, paper, or ceramics.
The artist emphasizes a craftsmanlike approach to material as paramount and also manifests the pictorial closure of the image, which contrasts with the complex content of his works. The materials interacting with each other in his works carry traces of cultural codes, and each has its own voice. The complexity of the combination of these layers and their interpretation by the viewer generates new meanings, important for the author's artistic practice.