Srboohie Abajian is making art with a rebel yell

March 7, 2022

Our #ArmenianAmericanSpotlight highlights the work
of community heroes, organizers, advocates, and artists in the U.S. Armenian community

Srboohie Abajian is an Armenian artist based in Los Angeles, California. Her paintings, drawings, and public art projects address social issues. Abajian holds an MFA in Painting from the Art Institute. Her work is in the permanent collections of the U.S. State Department’s Art in Embassies program and at the Center for the Study of Political Graphics. As part of the #ArmenianAmericanSpotlight series we sat down with Abajian to discuss the ways in which she uses art as resistance.

Armenian America (AA): Where were you born, and where did you grow up? How has your Armenian identity shaped you and your work?

Srboohie Abajian (SA): I was born and grew up in Yerevan, Armenia. Part of my identity was shaped by growing up in Soviet Armenia. Our lifestyle and values were different from a lot of Western society. As an immigrant artist I was surprised by the commercialism and over-consumption in American society. I was inspired to explore these themes in my work. I created several series: "Getting It", "Finding Value", "All Roads Lead To People", and "Investment".

I think another part of my Armenian identity comes from belonging to a nation that has continuously struggled to survive. Characteristics like the desire to speak up, being persistent, and never giving up—I believe that these essential qualities are present in me and in many of us.

Then there's the recent war in Armenia, and decades of genocide denial. These provoke an urgent desire in me to create a series of posters dedicated to these topics. "The Armenian Spirit—Unbreakable", "Genocide Denial Is a Crime Against Humanity", "Justice Does Not Exist But We Exist,” these are a few titles from my current poster series.

AA: What subjects do you take on in your work and why? How do you see these as issues of social and global justice?

SA: Well, like I mentioned about consumerism and overconsumption, a lot of my work explores humanity and society. I want to understand to what degree society is able to shape and change human identity and how individuals can change society.

I believe individuals can change society. It's important. There is injustice in the world, and it's up to us to try and fix that. To me, the purpose of art is to preserve and maintain humanity in the world.

Everything starts with an idea, a slogan, a picture. And these things can transform people's conscience.

After the 2020 Artsakh war it became very clear to me that we have to speak up. Silence only encourages a dictator to commit more crimes and implant hatred between the people of two opposing nations. That must be reversed. Can ordinary people of opposing countries stop the hostilities and hatred? Everything is possible.

You also asked about social justice, and, well, the globalization of our Western culture of consumption is having an impact on societies worldwide.

Investing in people is becoming less valuable than investing in material goods. The mentality of over-consumption leads to greed, and greed can destroy the conscience. Greed can destroy in any capacity, from human relationships to politics and international relations.

Every day, somewhere in the world you'll see human-rights violations, war crimes, or social and environmental injustices. Silence can hurt or even destroy someone somewhere. We must have the courage to stand up, speak up, for anybody who is in need, for anybody who is struggling.

Images and slogans have the power to transform our consciousness. I wish for every person to feel that they have the power to change things in society and that no one can take advantage of them or control them.

AA: You have recently made several provocative pieces including "The Armenian Spirit Unbreakable" which we published, what inspired this work? What does that phrase mean to you?

SA: In creating this piece I was inspired by the spirit of people, the people of our Armenian nation who strive to resist, people who know struggles, have known loss, but never give up and have found their way out.

I want to share the power of the spirit of our nation. I simply titled it "The Armenian Spirit—Unbreakable". For me, people with an unbreakable spirit are the most influential and inspirational people.

*The Armenian Spirit Unbreakable, Srboohie Abajian, 2021*

AA: Tell us about why you choose to work in the media you do. What has brought you to your artistic style?

SA: I've experimented with different media throughout my creative practice: printmaking, works on canvas, metal sculptures, public art installations, print media/posters. Right now I'm interested in exploring animation and portable murals.

Changing media is a natural process coming from the desire to use your art for different purposes and in different settings. But an artist's style is like a unique signature. It often remains the same, persistent.

The purpose of my style is to make people feel the world, which they often miss in the rush of everyday life. I want to make simple and emotional art. To achieve simplicity, I emphasize "line". And to achieve emotion, I exaggerate the character and mood of my subject.

AA: What are your wishes for the future of the Armenian-American community?

SA: I wish that we all– Be united, uplift each other, be respected members of American society, speak up to be heard and make changes in our communities, be successful in our fields, share our knowledge with the homeland. And be a part of our homeland.

AA: Do you have any advice for the next generation of Armenian- American artists or visionaries?

SA: I would advise them to remember —Art is the voice of the people, art is the conscience of humanity. The purpose of art is to preserve and maintain humanity in the world. Art should inspire people to feel that they have the power to change things in society and the world. People's collective conscience has the power to overcome everything [including] dictatorship, hate speech, and corruption.