SHUSHANIK KARAPETYAN

ARTIST BIO

Born in Yerevan, Armenia, Shushanik Karapetyan is a New York based artist. Her work has been showcased at the Irish Arts Center, Governors Island, BRIC, Hovnanian School, La Bodega Gallery, and various group exhibitions at LIC Arts Open. Her art has appeared in numerous publications including Driftwood Press, HyeBred, Storm Cellar, and The Sonder Review.

ARTIST STATEMENT

Shushanik's paintings are informed by her work as a psychotherapist, placing significance on the process. While paintings begin with some form of structure (i.e. a seascape or a landscape), this structure is tentative and flexible and is often guided by moment to moment decisions, whether it’s the choice of brush, color, texture, or movement in the painting. There is often a repetitive piece to her work such as pointillist strokes with a filbert brush, or sweeping long strokes with a flat brush. She is inspired by Georgia O’Keeffe, often communicating femininity, sensuality and organic motifs, as well as impressionist artists like Georges Seurat and Claude Monet, tapping into the ability of the human eye to blend points of colors on their own.

She is currently developing a collection of paintings as a response to her changing body during pregnancy. Two of these paintings are included in the submission - Relaxin and Follicular. This series was inspired by and is a celebration of the capacity of the female body. Relaxin, is the rising hormone that helps "relax" a woman's body during pregnancy so that it can accommodate for the growing baby. As ligaments relax, organs shift, the body softens and stretches. Every layer in the painting was done as an intuitive response to the curves and colors of the layers that came before it. Follicular depicts the follicular stage of the menstrual cycle where several follicles in the ovary begin to mature.

Website: www.saatchiart.com/skarapetyan
IG: @ex0genesis