We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Aazam Irilian. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Aazam below.
Aazam, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
Building your confidence does not happen overnight and takes a lot of time and work. It is one of the most difficult processes to begin—well, it’s obvious why—because you do not trust yourself to do or say the right thing. It’s a never-ending process. Even those who present themselves with the highest level of confidence have areas they are working on, questioning their decisions—they just don’t show it. For me, it involved a lot of soul-searching, self-development, and being open to facing challenging situations and stepping in regardless of how scared I was. It meant developing skills or gaining trust in the skills that I already embodied. Gaining confidence and believing in oneself is like climbing a ladder—at each level, you gain more knowledge about who you are, your abilities, and things you still need to work on. At sixty-six, I am still working on it.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am a multidisciplinary, abstract artist, guided by a simple question: “What happens if…?” This curiosity pushes me to explore new ideas and stretch the limits of my medium, always searching for fresh ways to express myself creatively. One aspect I’m passionate about is creating unique textures in my art. Currently, I’m experimenting with mineral and salt solutions to create mesmerizing crystal formations in my work. On my canvases, mineral solutions serve as another medium to paint with, leading to the formation of crystals and delicate lace-like patterns on the surface. In the series titled “Oceans of Crystalline,” I experimented with incorporating organic materials into the mineral solution and using digital compositions to create limited edition pieces. Selected pieces from these two series were on display at my solo exhibition, “Stillness In Chaos,” at the Poway Center for The Performing Arts in Poway (February 27-March 24, 2024).
Currently, I am preparing for another solo exhibit, “Preserved Memories.” This show opens May 4th and ends on June 7th at Gallery 825 (825 N La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90069). “Preserved Memories” is an installation exploring dementia. I lost my husband to dementia in 2023. This is an installation project to honor him and those who suffer/ed from this disease. This is one of the most emotionally difficult and personal works I have done. In “Preserved Memories,” I used mineral and salt solutions to encapsulate and preserve personal items that held significance to patients and their families. I see this installation as a collaboration between myself and families who shared their stories, which became integral elements of this installation. I am still collecting stories about those with dementia to integrate into future iterations of this installation.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Persistence: not giving up in face of rejections or failure. It is part of the process of learning and becoming stronger.
Resilience: Life is hard and, in many cases, we have to deal with things that we rather not. If an issue comes up, stop, take a breath and break it down to its smallest components. List as many steps as possible to achieve each component. Don’t give up—move toward your ultimate success one step at a time.
Having an open mind/being open to modify your plan as unforeseen events happen. Keeping the goal in mind is important, but the most important is to enjoy the process of getting there. You miss the amazing opportunities and experiences life has to offer if you are tunnel vision and only focus on the result.
We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?
You must invest in yourself if you would like to grow-personally and professionally. My advice is to find coaches you can trust and programs you feel resonate with you. Do your research, listen to your heart and pay attention to how your body feels—these never fail you—you just have to be open to listen.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://aazamirilian.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aazamirilianstudio/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aazamirilianstudio
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aazam-irilian-1b77365b/
Image Credits
Preserved Memories installation photos by LA Art Documents Photos: By artist
