KAMEE ABRHAMIAN INTERVIEW
I met Kamee Abrahamian at her colorful and psychedelic mixed media collection, Kaleiderie, debut at the Monocle Order pop up on the Bowery. Tonight she will perform her Blood Ballet Cabaret.
The multi talented artist grew up in Canada, Egypt, Armenia, and kind of all over the place. Her parents met in theatre and she was trained in ballet, piano, and visual arts since the age of four and then photography and digital arts in high school. She did her undergrad in Montreal in Political Science and Film studies. She then began producing a burlesque and circus show a couple years ago called the Blood Ballet Cabaret (the show is tonight in NY and they will tour South America in the Spring). The artist also juggles other projects including working with a gallery in the LES, managing the exhibitions and artists for an art space she opened up with her father in Armenia called the Abrahamian Art Centre, pulling together a collection of written works (prose and short fiction) that she will publish at some point. If that wasn't enough she is also doing her Masters at the European Graduate School in expressive art therapy, which allows her to be nomadic and living like a gypsy at the moment. In the future she plans on opening up another art space somewhere overseas.
That was a mouthful!
Greatest inspirations or influences?
My girlfriends, who are amazing.
My grandmothers without a doubt.
Can't forget the imaginary entourage of badass women that are with me at all times: Cindy Sherman, Bettie Page, Frida Kahlo, Anais Nin, Patti Smith.
Most interesting response to your art so far?
Someone told me once that it had a kaleidoscopic feel to them even though they're not at all symmetrical. This was interesting because I had come up with the word 'Kaleiderie' already but hadn't decided to use it as the name of my collection.
What would be a dream project for you?
I have about a billion of those but in regards to this collection I would have to say animating my work. I've already started experimenting with it but it'll take me a while to get there in the way I envision it. And I really want to make movies (I'm sitting on about 4 or 5 scripts in progress right now) but I know it's not the time yet.
Fashion icons in your opinion?
Any of the women listed under my inspirations, as well as Jane Birkin and Marlene Dietrich.
Gaga is a given.
What is the theme of your debut mixed media collection?
Getting in touch with the memories we were born with and into, those engrained in our DNA.
What were some of the places you traveled to that are part of the collection?
All over South America, Japan, Switzerland, Armenia, New Orleans, and that's just where my photos were from. The older ones I collect are mostly from Lebanon, Syria, dating back to the early 1900's. This all started after I found a box of old photos under my grandmother's bed after she died. They were so precious. I scanned them and started fooling around in photoshop and now have about 30 pieces.
Anything else you'd like to share with our audience?
People can check out the rest of my collection on my website http://www.lovelinest.com/ and for updates on my other projects they can look at my blog http://kaleiderie.com/
