Interview
Ani Hovak
Ani is an up-and-coming, young Armenian Artist. She was born in Yerevan, Armenia, in 1989, and graduated from Komitas State Conservatory. She unexpectedly discovered art at a mature age, like one would experience the thrill of an unexpected ‘first kiss’, and would grieve in deep emotional turmoil, wanting to relive that ecstatic moment – to die, rather than live without emotion.
Art became like breathing: her high moments and low, bringing out honest emotions and feelings towards life, color, texture and materials, but most of all, an inspirational soul in every piece of her works.
For Ani, the most important element of her work is the exchange of souls to maximize exploration of honesty and touch her audience. To express delicate emotions, feelings; to bring to life forms, from a rough object, even rusty metals. This is most interesting for her. The value or components of what she uses is not what is important to her. She engages oneness into every piece of work and captures a whole new story.
Ani’s characteristic qualities stem from deep emotions. Exceptionally important to her is to find a path to help the planet earth renew its waste materials into beautiful pieces. To give new rebirth into a second life.
After many years of experimenting with paint and materials, Ani moved forward within themes of fish and female in various mediums. Her art ‘The Fish’ is interpreted as a symbol of deep cleansing and self-healing. ’The Girl’ subject reflects sentimental, sensitive female moods with color technique that makes the girl subject come alive, as if one could carry a conversation with her – thus creating ‘THE GIRL MOOD’ theme which has become her signature piece. This is the obvious freedom and personal expression within Ani’s heart that really began to flourish.
From figurative to abstract, her artistic interpretation takes flight to higher levels, with strong emotional impact. She achieves this through mixing effects of color, reused materials, texture and the emotional response it gives her. By removing all representational meanings, Ani creates new works with technical proficiency in composition and spirit, with an observational subject matter.
Ani is also an aspiring classical singer with the Hover Chamber choir in Yerevan, performing at selected venues throughout Europe. Today, Ani has clearly made her mark as one of the most promising young abstract artists in her home country, Armenia, as she continues to embrace diversity and celebrate individuality!
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I started my journey as an artist in 2012. I have no professional background in the sphere of art; I am a professional musician. I graduated from the conservatory as a flutist. However, I have always felt the need to express myself not only through music, but through the creative process that an artist can achieve using material and colors. I started with graphics and quickly transformed to mixed media, using various materials in collages.”
“I enjoy the freedom that using various materials gives. You can play with textures, density and color intensity. You can achieve convexity and volume, the 3D effect that you desire – all by means of material as opposed to plain painting.”
What inspires you most?
“Of course I am inspired by works of art, and I admire masterpieces of prominent artists. But my ideas may rather come from watching a movie or after attending a good play in a theater. Or even after having an interesting conversation with a friend.
Music is another source of my inspiration. I often create while listening to music - classical, contemporary, rock and jazz. I have also been singing in the Hover Chamber Choir for 16 years. This group is very creative and full of innovative ideas that really help me!
The desire to create comes spontaneously, I don't plan anything. My characters also have a personality of their own. For instance, my girls are melancholic, the fishes are strong and composed, deep and contemplative while the birds are lighthearted, joyful and sweet as M&Ms.
I often unconsciously transfer my own mood and state of mind to the characters that I depict. I am incredibly vulnerable and fragile inside, but at the same time I have a strong personality and can endure quite a lot. Because I experience many ups and downs, my mood swings like a heart diagram and it becomes challenging at times to ride the rollercoaster! However, I think it's an inherent part of me, I guess I was born like that.
I love the infinite journey that my heart and my mind take me through. The world of my imagination is a wonderful way to escape reality with its hardships and it is also a very adventurous trip. You never know where it may lead you.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“I don't particularly pick any themes nor do I have an intention of putting any particular concept into my works. It's always a confession, a display of an inner world that one is sharing. It's always subjective. Even during war I couldn’t depict what I saw, but it certainly affected my mood and inner state... I could hardly create at that time. Both sad and happy emotions find their expression in my works, but I don't attach a thematic frame to them.
Anything that the earth cannot swallow and digest, a piece of rusty iron for example, I gladly use in my works. And it's a way of saying to mother earth "I am here to help, hand it over to me, I will make a good use of it!"”
“The message of my works is the art itself. It's a personal emotion spilled out to the world. I take great pleasure in the fact that I can transform the emotion into matter, and give it life!
I find an indescribable pleasure from knowing that I can give a second birth to an item or an object that has been abandoned and would otherwise be thrown away as garbage and vanish.”
How would you describe your work?
“I would simply describe it in one word: Pleasure! It's pure pleasure and bliss for me to do what I do.”
Which artists influence you most?
“Despite the fact that I take great pleasure in studying at various schools and learning from other artists, I wouldn't choose any particular names. It's a continuous process of growth and development. I still have so much to learn and discover.”
What is your creative process like?
“Sometimes, when the mood strikes, it takes me to the material, and other times, the material dictates the idea. I have a studio where I work. It's always messy when I create, as I use many strange and unexpected materials such as springs from an old mattress, light bulbs, motorcycle tyres, cables, bolts and nails, plastic bottles, barbed-wires, nets, parts of broken musical instruments – anything that is broken and can no longer survive.
I particularly enjoy the very process of bending pieces of iron and wire, hammering nails or stapling details together into one picture building up the composition. It calms my nerves and takes me off the ground into the mesmerizing world of imagination. I cherish the inspiration and the energy that comes with it. I always try to materialize my ideas as soon as they appear, otherwise they may disappear.
I may even get minor injuries while working or get stains from the paint that I dip my fingers into. I rarely work with traditional painting brushes or canvas, but I love to attach the used brushes to serve as fluffy tails for my birds.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“The most precious thing for me is being able to take the onlooker to your world, to inspire them with your enthusiasm towards art, to make them feel what you felt and to share a small piece of your inner world with them. They may come without preconceived ideas to an exhibition, and suddenly find parallels with what they see in the picture relating to their world, as well as detach from reality for a while.”
“If an artist is able to make a person fall in love with art - that, in my mind, is their greatest achievement.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“2022:
Solo Exhibition, Hay Art Cultural Center, Yerevan.2019:
AGBU Ani Hovak Solo Exhibition, Yerevan.
Komitas - dedicated to the 150th anniversary commemoration, Gala Art Gallery, Yerevan.
Young Artists participation, Naregatsi Art Institute, Yerevan.2018:
Expo Tekeyan, Group Exhibition, Yerevan.
ART Concept, Group Exhibition, Yerevan.2016:
Solo Exhibition, HAY-ART Cultural Center, Yerevan.
Solo Exhibition, German Embassy, Yerevan.
Collective exhibition, ART Concept, Yerevan.2015 - 2016:
Group show, Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art Exhibition ACCEA, 100th year memorial for Armenian Genocide.
Solo Exhibition, Puppet Theater, Yerevan.
Arvest Expo, Yerevan.2013:
Naregatsi, Yerevan.”
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