Ani Assatourian

ARTIST STATEMENT

Some say ‘You are what you eat ’

I say ‘You are what you paint’.

I know some people will categories my art as an abstract expressionism but it’s more than that, I work around a random accidental images that appears on canvas and highlight and expand that accident till it occupies the whole canvas.

I start my painting with marking it with implosive, expressive and intuitive moves which lead to random accidental images, but what I’m looking for is that perfect accident that’s too good to be hidden and I wouldn’t dare to let it go. I almost let that accident be the focal point of my piece for quite some time then I start to build a story around it. I let the painting unfold itself and make suggestions then I follow the leads by creating layers. My medium of choice is acrylic which serves the creative process perfectly. Each layer of paint gives me a second chance to form a new layer of thoughts and emotions on canvas. I constantly change my tools from brush to knife and my intensity from thick layer of paint to water down wash all over the piece. I always take a leap of fate with my next move. One of the main steps of my work is when I sit in front of a piece in silence for hours and looking at it as is. It might not seem a big deal but it actually is one the crucial steps of creating my pieces. I never know what the end result will be but I know what I’m looking for. A specific complexity with a subtle simplicity, when that balance occurred and I see the elements are living in harmony on canvas, then I know it’s time to put down the brush and sign the piece.

My inspiration comes from simplest moments of life. An insignificant scene, voice or a moment can shape the biggest aha moment for me, and I try to reflect the value of those simple moments in my work. The emotional connection is the ultimate goal in my pieces and when people look at my art work, I would like to ask them ‘how do you feel’ instead of ‘what do you see’.