RUBEN BAGHDASARYAN

What’s inspiring you right now at this moment?

I’m starting to appreciate more alone time, having that makes me connect to my true self and find the inspiration in me instead of outside. I have been working with blue colors lately, with a limited color palette to capture portraits of my friends and family.

What is the first thing you think when you wake up?

I guess depends on the day, usually it’s about my work, what/whom I’m going to paint next. That idea never stops in my head, I feel like every time I create something it gives me a purpose to keep going, that’s why I don’t think I can ever stop doing that, if it happens I don’t think I’ll survive, haha.

Do you play music when you wake up? If so, what do you personally listen to?

Choosing the right music before I start my day and going to my studio it’s a very important decision and I have to make the right choice. I don’t create work when I’m the happiest, I’ve noticed it’s never good enough for me, and in the end, I’m not satisfied. So the music I choose needs to be either classical or more ballads. I’ve been listening to the original motion picture soundtrack of ‘Close’, a film by Lukas Dhont, google it!

What do you wear when you are most inspired creatively?

Well, it’s not designer clothing for sure, god forbid I accidentally drop some oil paint on them. I usually wear a James Perse polo, A.P.C trousers, and my very comfortable Boston-style Birkenstocks. I feel not too focused on my clothing at that time so I can just wear my latex gloves and start working.

What time of the day do you like to create?

It starts usually at 9 am and some days can go on until 4 pm. I usually like to finish my paintings in one sitting. The colors are not the same the next day and so are my emotions.

As many of us, we get our influences from friends or family, is there a specific thing you experienced growing up that inspired you to be the artist that you are today?

Coming from a very conservative family from a different part of the world took me a very long time to finally realize why I do love being the artist that I am today. As a kid, I’ve never been happy, because deep inside I knew I didn’t belong where I was born and always wanted to be in a different part of the world and make others happy, because I wasn’t until I moved to Los Angeles. I always felt like I’m able to make a little change by creating a piece, especially when I receive messages from clients saying that they are so happy with the paintings they purchased and the idea that it will pass the generations makes me feel very happy inside and that’s something it will last forever.

What culture and what aspect of culture inspires you to paint?

It’s pretty diverse, nothing specific. I love every culture, every skin color, they are so beautiful and powerful in so many different ways.

What inspired your latest work?

Heartbreak.

Love and heartbreak often inspire, Are you in love or heartbroken at the moment?

I’m happily in love at the moment and inspired. I’ve had two heartbreaks in the last two years, I remember that it was so bad that one day I looked at myself in the mirror and couldn’t recognize myself and I was questioning myself every night, Where did the Ruben go? In the end, I don’t think I could’ve survived anymore, so my body just gave up. I felt completely empty and there was nothing left that I could give anymore. So that is what the end.

I’ve worked very hard to pass through that part of my life, It was a very difficult period, but it also made me very stronger. I created the most powerful works during that time, and they helped me a lot — since there was nobody to talk about I’ve been having conversations with my canvases, I look back to them and it makes me emotional. My current partner is my lifesaver, I love him so much and I feel grateful every morning for waking up next to him.

RUBEN BAGHDASARYAN

How do you inspire a team of your collaborators when approaching your project, or are you often solo?

I’m often hired as a solo artist, I bring my own artistic vision to a team depending on a project theme.

An artist that inspires you?

Anna Weyant, I went to see her work first time at Phillips, I could just stare at her work for hours and I guess I kind of feel related to her work, it’s very deep and emotional. I love her color palette and also her technical skills, I’m genuinely very happy for her success.