From Russia with wow: artist Tatiana Avanesian’s colourful abstracts dazzle

Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer

UAE-based abstract artist Tatiana Avanesian was born in a Russian-Armenian family in 1999, in Russia. Seven years into art school and after her bachelor’s diplomas in economics and civil law in Russia, she returned to creativity – “with a new passion,” she says. That feeling has lingered — at the moment, it is what still drives her. Many of her works reflect the energy she feels at a certain moment in time. It literally spills onto the canvas. She started her career as an artist in Russia, but, as she proudly points out, lives and paints in Dubai now. The diversity of the people here and city itself, inspires her.

“The main object of my art is pictures,” she says. “As a person who looks at the world positively, in my works I like to use predominantly bright colours to express my feelings. I explore human emotions, relationships, impressions and experiences. The complexity and multi-dimensionality of the human personality gives me room to explore the essence of human beings.” She tries to interlink reality with pictures and art. Ladies and gentlemen, Tatiana Avanesian answers your questions

Why are you interested in abstract art?

Abstract art makes it possible to explore an object or a topic with no limits, using only colour, a brushstroke or a form. Abstract art allows an infinite number of variations in meaning that an artist lays down. And this is an extremely fascinating decoding process. Through art, I can express my feelings and emotions on canvas. But what is more interesting is that the viewer interprets my art based on their personal life experiences.

 Tatiana Avanesian is based in the UAE.

Which are the art movements or persons who have influenced your work?

Impressionism and expressionism are my favourite art movements. I like the idea of an artist reflecting on an object through his emotional state. Also, Andy Warhol seems to me an artist-marketer of genius: which is undoubtedly very important these days. But the passion for art was passed down from my first teacher in art school. She was full of vim and very inspiring. I explored art basics with her help - acquired academic knowledge of compositions, colour and form.

Does society – since you deal with the human personality — inspire you or is your Muse elsewhere?

The versatility of the human personality inspires me, and gives me the space for fantasy and creativity. However, I’ve not started talking about society in my paintings as yet.

Why do bright and bold colours attract you?

One of the rules in my life is to find the positive side of any situation. Our world is full of imperfections and tragedies. So, I want the viewer to see positive meanings through my paintings, enjoy them and be upbeat. Colour is a very crucial tool in abstract art, and I use it for my good intentions.

How different is working in Russia and in the UAE? Was there a cultural shock?

From my perspective, the UAE market is very open and welcoming. People here are inquisitive about art, keen to support artists and ready to invest in art. It’s still something new; but the volume of art events in the UAE is really amazing! However, at the same time, art in the UAE is also more exposed to marketing than in Russia. The Russian market is more conservative, closed and established. Moreover, political and economic issues literally cut off the Russian market from the outer world.

As a consequence, I was not able to sell through Saatchi, though I had done so. So, for me, the change in coming to the UAE is a positive factor. You have sold at Saatchi. If you don’t mind, tell us how you did it. While living in Russia, I was having a great experience, using Saatchi’s accessible website. The Saatchi platform provides endless opportunities for beginners, while being convenient to use. I’m working on developing my new UAE account as well; I consider it a proper way to promote my work. I would recommend artists to develop their Instagram and Saatchi accounts.

According to you, does Art have a local habitation?

Or is it universal? Does it have both features? Of course, art reflects the world around the artist! Mostly, artists are highly emotional and intensely experience events taking place around them. So a contemporary artist from Switzerland, for example, will talk about different things with an artist located, say, in the centre of Afghanistan. On the other hand, in the era of globalisation, the whole world is exposed to local events. Besides, experiences within us are universal. This allows artists around the world to explore the same issues.

Is there a musical aspect in your art?

I would say it’s a big part of my life. At home, I often play something to immerse myself while working. While drawing, music gives a vibe and a rhythm to the lines and the picture as a whole.

Though your time in the Emirates/Middle East has been limited, do you think this region is receptive to the Abstract?

I’m happy to see how the Middle East is open for any kind of art — and this includes Abstract as well. I’m sure the interest will only increase as art has a lot of potential and opportunities in the region.