In this podcast episode, get to know artist Geraldina Khatchikian and learn about her journey of discovering expressive abstract paintings and continuing the legacy of her family-owned fine jewelry brand in Italy.
We talk about her journey of finding healing and awareness through art and creation.
Geraldina also shares how she found a community while living in a more traditional environment and finding connections and purpose globally.
BIO
Geraldina Khatchikian is an Italian abstract painter and jewelry designer living and working in Milan, Italy.
In 2017, after a period spent in London, she attended a jewelry design course at the European Institute of Design in Milan where she learned the basic techniques of goldsmith. After attending several workshops, she became interested in the coloring techniques of metals and at the same time she attended a painting course in mixed techniques directed by a teacher of her institute.
When the experience at the IED ended she decided to pursue her passion for painting transforming it to a profession. In summer 2018 she attended the “Art world basics for artists” course at the Sotheby's institute of art in New York which laid the foundation for her career.
Being surrounded by goldsmiths at a young age, she decided to continue practicing her jewelry design skills to also become a jewelry designer.
Her work has been exhibited across different cities, international platforms and magazines, and she is selling her jewels and paintings to international collectors.
Currently, her work is featured in "The World Of Interiors” Magazine August issue 2022, July issue 2022 and June issue 2022, AlTiba9 Contemporary Art Magazine Issue 10, Clover+Bee Mag Digital Issue n.3, The Purposeful Mayo issue number 1.
In 2020 she founded the curatorial project called “Art Feeds Souls”. The platform’s aim is to underline the importance of creativity in everyday life elevating the visibility of emerging, mid-career and established artists from all over the world sharing their work of art through unique interviews and social media posts to inspire and connect. The project has been recently mentioned on Create! Website as one of the contemporary Art Blog to bookmark now.
ARTIST STATEMENT
The abstract process of Geraldina Khatchikian revolves around the concept of inner research, awareness and healing.
Painting to her has always been a liberating form of art therapy which helps her cope with thoughts, process her feelings and express her emotions.
The artist loves to experiment through different techniques and materials like acrylic colors, modeling pastes, sand, powders mixing everything with her hands.
In her most recent collection titled “Rebuild” she started to apply on the canvas sheets of copper, brass and zinc engraved and also metal wires in a technique similar to that used in her jewelry creation. Each painting begins with a question and creates a journey whose outcome is often unexpected even for her. All the canvases are the result of an emotional journey that describes the preciousness of the inner world through explosion of colors mixed together with the world of metals to highlight its value.
She wants viewers to observe her paintings and find in them something of personal interest, something that concerns their soul. She would like them to fully engage with the painting, and reflect on the emotions and sensations stimulated by the artwork.
