Later studios were located in Long Island City (in Queens) and lower Manhattan, where he witnessed firsthand the collapse of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.
[4] His large and colorful abstract expressionist oil paintings earned notice in the early 1960s, especially in Chicago.
"[8] Kokines's paintings from this period were noted for their "fierce movement and polyphonic complexity" and "organic surrealist overtones.
"[9][10] His paintings and drawings were featured in several group and solo shows in Chicago galleries,[citation needed].
Among Kokines's final works is a group of panels based on the events of September 11, 2001, which he witnessed firsthand.