Zarouhie Abdalian

Abdalian’s first solo exhibition in New York, at Clifton Benevento, presents a constellation of subtly altered found objects that echo the features of the gallery and of each other. Abdalian’s works have consistently explored liminal zones, from her simulation of broken glass on the windows of her graduate school building to reflect the dilapidated surrounding neighborhood, to her timed light installation in an abandoned storefront for the 2013 Shanghai Biennial. Born and raised in New Orleans, Abdalian is particularly attentive to the ways in which historical processes are embedded in physical transformations of spaces.

She had a 2013 show called “Zarouhie Abdalian / MATRIX 249” at the Berkeley Art Museum, with sculptures that are sensitive to the exhibition space. The sculptures were set up to use the out-of-the-way location of the gallery and aspects of the walls and space as part of the effect of the art. In 2013 she also installed a sound sculpture, “Occasional Music”, in Frank H. Ogawa Plaza in Oakland, with brass bells that occasionally ring together out of sight.

Abdalian produces site-specific sculptural works and interventions. Prior to focusing on her site-specific work, Abdalian worked in printmaking and painting. She became more interested in working directly with the elements of space after a 2004 exhibition in a non-traditional venue. Her works respond directly to architectural and outdoor spaces, using sound, light, and other natural forces to create subtle experiences that are open to multiple interpretations.

Abdalian obtained a Bachelor of Arts from Tulane University in 2003 and graduated with a Master of Fine Arts from the California College of the Arts in 2010.

Zarouhie Abdalian (born 1982 in New Orleans, Louisiana) is an American artist of Armenian descent. She creates site-specific sculptures and installations. She is a 2012 recipient of the SECA Art Award. She was also a 2017–2018 Pollock-Krasner Foundation grantee.