Mary Badalyan
My artistic practice is marked by the interweaving: of thread, and materials, but also by driving forces of nostalgia and compulsion.
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
Mary Badalian is a contemporary visual artist currently living and working in Yerevan, Armenia. A lawyer by training, Mary’s interests span international relations, human rights, and questions of ethics and integrity which she developed through internships at the Armenian Constitutional Court, Chamber of Advocates, and the UN in Armenia. In parallel to her university studies in law (Slavonic University of Armenia, 2018), Mary rediscovered her passion for art and creativity as a form of self-expression. For Mary these two paths - although distinct - are interconnected: while the law creates an environment for freedom of thought, art is the expression of that liberty in its most human form.Since 2017, Mary has immersed herself in a practice of mixed media on canvas that involves intricate embroidery of thread and beads covered by acrylic paint, often in a monochrome palette. Her practice is both an ode to her Grandmother, an avid embroiderer, as well as a “quiet rebellion” as she transforms a traditionally female, domestic craft into large-scale works of fine art.
Exhibitions:
Mar 2022 - “Time Traveller’s Diary”, collective exhibit. Peresvetov Gallery, Moscow, RU
Nov 2021 - “ Tomorrow “, collective exhibit. Cafesjian Center for the Arts, Yerevan, AM
Jul 2021 - “ Chromological Disorder”, solo exhibit. Dalan Art Gallery, Yerevan, AM
Jun 2021 - “Right here/right now”, collective exhibition in the framework of the “Alteration Music Festival”. Ayrarat, Yerevan, AM
Jan 2021 - “Far But Close”, online collective exhibit. Florence Contemporary Gallery, Florence, IT
