Mosaic 2 Print

My work has come from two separate sides of my sensibility – emotional and rational. These two sides exist independently, like two different personalities or two languages from very diverse language families. Having been born in Armenia, a country full of warmth and color, expression and loud conversations, unrestricted energy and passion, my works to a large extent reflect these aspects of my background. In this series, I enjoy a high level of uncertainty of the artistic process: my thoughts are intense and interconnected, my hand moves independently, led by emotion and determination, by a need to experiment, to create conflict and competition, and to merge all these parts together. There is lot of personality in these artworks; they are linked to a certain inner conversation. Colors and strokes come impulsively, they compete, and the moment when the artwork is completed is very important: it defines the painting to a great degree. The second series is led by rhythm, optical interaction, and simplicity. It probably comes from my analytical background, thinking patterns and my love for structure. I can use an emotionally active object in the work, yet strive to stay detached from it, allowing a fully open interpretation. I use a lot of white and clear colors which translate to simplicity and disengagement. Similar to meditation, I am focused on the creative process, I concentrate on every stage of my work, I handle the pieces with attention, but then I step back to observe the produced structures from the outside, as if I were not the one creating them. One work can take a few days to make; during this time, I come up with new ideas for the next pieces. I create most of my works on paper. However, I don’t feel they are limited by backgrounds or frames: an artwork can be installed right on the wall, and should adapt to the space it inhabits. After discovering printmaking and monotype I started experimenting with more challenging structures and forms, larger-scale projects, more unexpected and complex spatial relationships, and an interplay of patterns and shapes. Concerning the audience’s take on my work, I prefer to stay detached and allow the viewers to draw their own associations, to switch on their sensitivity, and to make free connections with my work.