Stephany Sanossian: The Syrian Armenian visionary leading Arab art into a new realm of exploration

With a natural ability to reconcile paradoxical passions, Syrian Armenian artist Stephany Sanossian has been creating mesmerisingly vivid testaments of the abounding beauty of both Middle Eastern and Armenian art.

Through her visually-gripping collages, the artist weaves transcendent connections between East and West, North and South, past, present, and future, but most importantly, fantasy and reality.

"Some of Stephany’s art pieces are like beautiful dreams, fantasies that allow us to send our Imazighen or Levantine grandmothers to the moon. Other pieces are like broken shards of glass that find their way straight to our wounds"

The Armenian Syrian artist currently resides in Dubai, her art however is not pegged to any specific location. Stephany's collages are more of a language that is interpreting the artist’s inner thoughts and experiences. 

“Processing life visually makes my life a bit easier as an artist. My cultural background has shaped my way into the art world," Stephany tells The New Arab. "As an individual growing up in the Levantine region, I am always inspired by all the traditions and the way of life there.” 

Interstices that are usually so prominent fade and disappear in the world that Stephany creates. Her art gives us the chance to imagine a world that has no “either-or,” no “Black or White,” and no “us and them,” a world of endless possibilities and realities.

The artist continues to explain her deep and unwavering desire to invite others to her world, to let others see what she sees, feel what she feels, and live in the world as she sees it, or perhaps as she wishes to see it. “I believe that I just want to tell the story from my point of view. My stubbornness made me immerse into the art a little more and continue sharing my values and the way I see or want to see stuff. 

"My journey of growth starts with a very easy question ‘why not?’ I love to challenge ideas, myself, and everyone around me. Since we were kids, we repeatedly hear, don't do this, or don't do that, and when we're 18, we have a pile of fear with us on a silver platter. So, why not break through the stereotype and try everything that you ever want.”

Stephany thoughtfully emphasises that her parents were always encouraging and supportive, compared to the general culture that is more protective and thus inevitably more restrictive.

"My journey of growth starts with a very easy question ‘why not?’ I love to challenge ideas, myself, and everyone around me"

Some of Stephany’s art pieces are like beautiful dreams, fantasies that allow us to send our Imazighen or Levantine grandmothers to the moon. Other pieces are like broken shards of glass that find their way straight to our wounds; powerful visual reminders of the man-made evil contrasted with the beauty of our universe.

Like many other Syrians, Stephany’s life was affected by the war in Syria, an impact that probably influenced her creative and artistic growth as well: “I believe that there is not a single Syrian family has not been affected by the war. February 10 actually marked the 10th year of my dear friend Viken’s memorial. May he rest in eternal peace.”

On a more positive note, Stephany’s life in Dubai has been enthralling and allowed the artist to thrive and develop her skills.

“Dubai is the land of opportunities and growth. I haven't met a single person who is not happy in Dubai. The key to success over here is to be open, fast, and innovative. The art scene is getting bigger and bigger and there are lots of open calls for those who want to grow or nurture a skill.”

The artist also generously opened up to The New Arab about some of the restrictions that Middle Eastern artists can face: “The biggest restriction is self-doubt, putting myself into a box that doesn't even exist. As a visual artist, I get a lot of feedback that I should ‘post more or talk more’ about the stuff that keeps happening around the world. That is sometimes frustrating, and it makes me feel like I am not doing enough for my community.”

This imprisonment within the limited realm of “engagement” has long haunted Arab artists, writers, poets and filmmakers.

The digital revolution in the art scene

Stephany’s journey is also demarcated by being one of the leading Arab artists in the market of NFTs, an achievement which the artist considers to be a precious moment of triumph: “Being sold out (NFT's) in less than one hour was one of the moments that I would cherish forever. It may not be a very big thing for everyone but the idea of someone else (who probably doesn't know me personally) buying my work (digitally) was one of the greatest achievements ever.”

“Being sold out (NFT's) in less than one hour was one of the moments that I would cherish forever"

Stephany, who has a master's degree in Research for Design and Innovation, explained her research and how it has helped her navigate the world of NFTs: “Basically, I am eager to know more about human behaviours, on one hand, and the internet on the other. I grasp any new innovation and get more into it. I strongly believe that we were already in the metaverse. However, it just got a ‘name or a frame’ to it now. For example, how many hours do we daily on social media? How many people do you know virtually not personally? As for me, I have met half of my close friends on the internet.”

Being one of the leading Arab artists to conquer the world of NFTs, Sanossian shared her knowledge with The New Arab: “The account @niftysouq is the first platform in the Mena region to promote and market NFT and I love to work with local people. We had a session where they wanted to launch their platform with my NFTs and that's how my friendship started the nifty peeps. 

"The Arab NFT world is not different from the rest of the world. We are a strong part of the market, and we have pretty cool artists as well. For example, the community behind Dubai peeps is amazing. NFT art is something that keeps evolving and I am eager to see where we're going with it.”

The artist has recently featured her products in expo Dubai’s Syrian pavilion. Her exposition is called Nostalgia With a Modern Twist and comes with a rather profound piece of wisdom: “There are a lot of things in life that have taught me to just flip that page and move forward. Keep going, keep doing, keep moving forward. Keep the memories but move forward with them.”

The artist is also working on her second drop of NFTs which she hopes will be even more successful than the first one.

Ouissal Harize is a UK based researcher, cultural essayist, and freelance journalist.

Follow her on Twitter: @OuissalHarize