Kristina Ter-Kazarian

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 us...

I have been fortunate to get an interdisciplinary background in engineering, economics, and art. I have taken my first art studio classes at Middlebury College (Vermont, US) in 1989 and was part of Jim Butler’s class – one of the most fascinating artists and academics I have ever met. Because of my life trajectory, I had a chance to live, study, and work between the US, Eastern Europe, and Spain for more than two decades.

After moving to Seattle, WA in 2017, I got interested in the museum profession. I have received a MA degree from the Museology Graduate Program at the University of Washington. There I engaged in a fascinating area of research – the impact art has on people’s health and well-being. I decided to incorporate this concept into my art practice, research, and consulting service. My thesis dissertation explored the impact of a brief art museum visit on people’s psychological and physiological levels of stress.

Recently, I got engaged in the Art Therapy field at Metàfora Center d'Estudis d'Artteràpia, Spain, and Oxford College of Arts and Therapies, UK.