IDENTITIES
Solo show
2012
Alwane Gallery, Saifi village, Beirut, Lebanon
In the series IDENTITY my approach reflects the layers of my multicultural identity. In my paintings I am narrating in a poetic way my belonging to many cultures and traditions that are sometimes complementary and some other times opposing each other. The drawings of my paintings are interfering with patterns of Caucasian and Persian carpets and figures from Armenian and Persian miniatures. The cultures are weaved to each other just as are weaved the colors of a patterned carpet.
It is a pleasure for me to talk and paint about my multicultural identity which is born from the mixture of many oriental cultures with a tendency to westernize, but without letting off the fascination for the charm of the east.
Introducing patterns of carpets in a cityscape is my way to appropriate the urban space. The predominance of the vertical and horizontal lines is interrupted by the presence of geometric floral patterns that add a touch of paradise to my city, to an interior scene or to other simple objects.
The miniature figures are animating the space and trying to reconcile the cultures.
Rencontre (meeting) – 2011
Marouflage, acrylic and oil on canvas – 58.5 x 127 cm
Imagining Ottoman movable tents in the foreground, on an imaginary contemporary Beirut constructions in the background with pieces of carpet patterns projected on some facades.
Since 2009 - besides the pure cityscape paintings, I have been preoccupied by translating through my work and specially my paintings, the complexity of my own identity and the need of belonging. I am aware that my descendance is pure Armenian but my consciousness is mixed race; the influence of globalism on my body-identity and the interrogations on my identifications and my facts of belonging.
For the solo show IDENTITIES, I developed even more my affiliations to the different cultures of the East and the West. I would rather place myself on the eastern side. Once again I projected my thoughts on my city Beirut.
My city is desired by many civilizations. And many states fight their wars on its soil.
In my paintings of the series IDENTITIES, I weave the cultures of different (for example a carpet is weaved with a window) civilizations, just like are weaved together the geometric motifs of a carpet. The usage of carpet patterns is very frequently seen in the series.
The carpet is used as a culturel and multicultural element.
While the two Persian miniature figures are fighting in the sky of the painting, the carpet patterns, from the bottom of the painting vehicles spiritual values. The elements and its spiky vegetal patterns render a glimpse of a burning city. Empty of its residents and the city is burning because of a Holy war that is being fought in the sky. No one knows the reason why. Maybe, only God has the answer.
Desire of a city II – 2011
Marouflage, acrylic and oil on canvas – 149 x 70.5 cm
Even my interior space, my kitchen, the wall of my house is impregnated with pieces of Caucasian carpet patterns. My identity is everywhere and yet as if I have the feeling that I forbid myself to talk about it; it is not ethical to talk about ethnic identity, but it is fine to paint about it silently with a silent visual medium: the pigments, the colors, and the defined and undefined shapes (this is my feeling).
Interior II – 2011
Oil on canvas – 115 x 80 cm