Issue 3 Artist Spotlight | Geraldina Khatchikian
C+B: Tell us about yourself, Geraldina!
GK: There are different things I like to do in my spare time when I’m not creating. I love to give a structure to my days following a self-care routine. I truly became passionate about face-yoga and I’m studying to get my certification as a teacher. I love meditating, going out for a morning walk in the park listening to music or just connecting to nature. I love to listen to inspiring podcasts and read self-help books. I’m also very interested since I was young in psychology and in understanding human reactions, fears, emotions, feelings, trauma.
C+B: How has your relationship with your work changed since you first started creating?
GK: My works as always have been my best tool to express myself and get clarity on my emotions and feelings. I would say that what changed is that I gained more confidence and trust in myself which allows me to show up more than I used to do and also I have more courage to experiment more and find the correct tools and media that align with my artistic expression.
C+B: Share some details about your process for creating.
GK: I love to create during the day, and particularly in spring time where the sun sets late so if I don’t have enough time during my morning I can easily paint in the afternoon or until sunset. Light is so important to me and I enjoy solitude while creating. I love to listen to music normally without lyrics. There are different producers that truly inspire me while I paint which are: Jon Hopkins, Emancipator and Bonobo. I normally create at least one new canvas a week and if I’m not painting I will sketch for sure everyday because creating something even completely different from my normal style or even just something in my sketchbook is vital for me. I love to always find at least one hour a day to focus on my art practice.
C+B: What is the one accomplishment you most hope to achieve in your creative career?
GK: I have different career goals I would love to achieve! One that pops up on my mind right now is a music collaboration for an album cover with some producers I admire.
Find and support Geraldina here:
(Sad Memory, 50 x 70cm, acrylic, ©Geraldina Khatchikian)
If my work was a meal it would be: I would describe my paintings to have different tastes made from different kind of spices. Some mixed together and some not. Some of them bitter and tasty, other spicy and delicate. For example I see a bit of cumin, curry and curcuma, together with chili flakes and black pepper, paprika and ginger, zaatar and sesame, coriander and cardamom, brown sugar and pink himalayan salt. I can’t identify the exact meal but while you are eating it you should have a flavorful experience.
I would love to be able to share my work with: There are different creators from the past eras to whom I would have loved to get the opportunity to show my work to. Claude Monet is one of them, I still remember the first time I visited his house in Giverny, France which was a dream come true. Another artist is Vincent Van Gogh, his story always moved me a lot. I would have loved also to show my paintings to Joan Mitchell and have a chat with her about abstract expressionism. I thought about them because they are some of the major artists that truly inspired my artistic path.
If I were to work in another medium, I would choose: I would choose music because it allows freedom of expression. I’ve always been attracted by the Celtic harp. Who knows. Maybe one day I will learn to play it! :)
My hope for those viewing my work: I hope that people can take away from my work some sort of inspiration. It can be an inspiration for them to understand more about their inner world or perhaps just be inspired by my work to encourage them to start their creative journey.
When I was stuck with my creativity I remember that going to exhibitions, getting in touch with artists and questioning their work was a way for me to surround my self with art and it really helped me to understand later that I was going to search for something that I already have inside but I was scared to discover.
