wish © hagop belian
Last year I had the pleasure of hanging art with Hagop Belian at a Los Angeles art show. His assemblage pieces stood out from the crowd – they seemed to be hauntings from my own subconscious mind. After spending a few minutes talking with Hagop about his work, I knew I had stumbled across something, and someone, special. Hagop is an artist who works directly from his soul, and his work emanates a sort of sacred and inaudible harmonic alchemy. I was not alone in making a connection to his work; Hagop’s creations made it into everyone else’s heart as well, proven by being voted one of the Best In Show artists of the event. Recently I contacted Hagop and asked him to share his work with us, and answer a few ArtOneMent-style questions. He graciously agreed and sent over several images for us to feast our eyes upon. Please follow up reading his interview by visiting his website which has many more brilliant works: www.madeofhagop.com
And now over to Hagop! ……
Why do you make art? Many years ago I had a lucid dream where I was painting large-scale paintings and the joy I felt was tremendous. It was a feeling that I had never experienced before. The following day I picked up a brush and started playing around. Now every time I get in my creative zone, the same feeling revisits me.
buddah © hagop belian
solitude © hagop belian
What is your supreme inspiration? My inspiration for my found object artwork comes when I find certain objects that resonate with me. I feel like I want to “save” them and find them a new home by putting the objects in a completely different context. These objects are then given a new meaning and a new life. When I paint, I am expressing my raw emotion onto the canvas. I get inspired by certain feelings and have to find a way to process those feelings from myself through the paint and onto the canvas. And by the time the painting is completed, the feelings are released leaving me exhausted yet peaceful at the same time.
red © hagop belian
What gift do you give through your art? My art is thought provoking and makes people question their beliefs on spirituality, truth and change. It helps people think outside of the box.
key © hagop belian
What is your creative process on the physical / emotional / mental / spiritual level? The subtle nuances of this can be fascinating, please share as much as you are comfortable with. My creative process begins with an object or a window or a door that I resonate with. Then I begin my thinking process of trying to tell a story with how I arrange the objects together. This stage will usually last for many weeks while I move the objects around in a “musical chair” rotation until I feel that the piece is finished and is telling the story I wanted to convey. A lot of my process also takes place in my dreams. Sometimes I will finish a piece in a dream and think that is done in the real world, only to wake up to find that the piece is only in its preliminary stage. Getting the piece to where it was in my dream becomes easier since there is now a blue print that I can follow. The final step to the process is the coat of resin that I apply to certain pieces as a finishing touch. Applying resin is very challenging and is an art form in itself. It takes a lot of time and care to do it properly and usually it takes on a life of its own.
integrated realm © hagop belian
How do you connect with the creative flow? The creative flow is an energy that makes you feel connected to the universe. Everything you do in the flow is the “right” thing to do. Even mistakes in the flow are the right steps into getting your piece to the next level. It is being connected to the true source of knowledge and spirit. The flow is not always there and that is the beauty about it because just like a wave once it appears you have to jump on and ride it and reap its benefits. Centering myself through spiritual work and meditation allows me to connect with the creative flow on a deeper and a stronger level. It helps my psyche be more alert and more receptive.
five © hagop belian
Aside from the work we are featuring, what other forms (if any) does your creative impulse take? Besides my assemblage and painting work, I do photography and a bit of pop art with characters of my imagination that resemble all the different facets of me. Music is also another passion.
buddah box © hagop belian
What book are you currently reading? I am reading The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho. I like reading and getting inspiration through it.
What music is in heavy rotation on your iPod? Why? Lately, it has been a lot of artists on Tru Thoughts label. A UK based label. You can’t go wrong with jazz, funk, and soul.
indigenous © hagop belian
Does art / conscious creativity have a place in helping raise consciousness and wake up the planet?
Indeed, if my art helped one person to evoke the thought of consciousness it is goal made. Change always starts with one and then multiplies into large groups.
deliverance © hagop belian
What does ‘a blissful planet’ mean to you? (these words are from the ArtOneMent purpose statement). A blissful planet is a place where there is peace, freedom, and creativity. A place that is loved cared for by all of its occupants. A place where there can be growth, progression, and manifestation.
twilight © hagop belian
What does ‘consciousness’ mean to you? Awareness. Thoughtfulness. Having wisdom and knowing how to use it. Allowing yourself to tap into a higher intelligence and to bring that resource into your everyday life, to inspire and help people evolve.
commencement © hagop belian
Hagop Belian was born and raised in Syria until his early teens before moving to the United States. His creative process began while studying at UC Santa Cruz where he earned a BA in Mathematics. Through a lucid dream, he was inspired by a very strong desire to create. He began to experiment with different mediums such as painting, photography and mixed media in order to find an outlet to express his passion.
His mixed media work revolves around finding “unwanted objects; ” things left behind or considered to be “junk” by others, and “saving them” by giving them new life through his creations. His paintings are landscapes of color that reflect the raw abstract expressions of his emotional subconscious. His work is rooted in the realm of what is felt rather than what is seen and is an exploration of emotions based on reminiscences of the past. It represents rebirth, transformation, truth and change.
For Hagop, creation is not a choice, but a way of life. He creates in order to share the stories in his soul with the world, through his unique perspective.
Currently Hagop lives in Venice Beach, where he continues to explore his creativity using his intuition and environment as inspiration for his work. Hagop has shown his work throughout Los Angeles. In December 2008, he was voted one of the “Best in Show” at “Lucky 7,” Create Fixate’s 7 year anniversary art show.
hagop belian
