Born in Armenia in 1981, Nune Vartanyan is an artist whose journey has been shaped by the profound political and social shifts of the post-Soviet era. Growing up during the tumultuous period following Armenia’s independence, Nune witnessed the deep economic and societal challenges of the early 1990s. This period of hardship was further compounded by the aftermath of the first Artsakh War, prompting their family to seek refuge in Russia in 1994.

Throughout these formative years, art became a steadfast anchor for Nune. Initially nurtured at the Hakob Kojoyan School of the Arts in Yerevan, she continued honing her craft during her years in Russia. Amidst the uncertainties of migration and adaptation, art remained a vital mode of self-expression and reflection on the impermanence of form, the ever-changing and subjective nature of thought and the illusive nature of identity, attachment and belonging.

In 1996, Nune’s family immigrated to the United States, marking a new chapter in her artistic journey. She later studied at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), where she explored the intersections of art and design. This experience broadened her perspective, allowing her to merge traditional techniques with conceptual thinking, creating works that spoke to themes of memory, fragility of perceived identity and inner resilience.

Drawing upon her personal history of migration and the complexities of growing up in a rapidly shifting geopolitical landscape, Nune’s art continues to be a curious, contemplative exploration of form as moving energy, the intangibility of seeking refuge and comport in identity and an inquiry into what’s here when we’re not lost in the content of what’s being perceived. 

Her latest body of work is exploring a sense of universality that’s curious about the oneness of inner and outer nature, consciousness and the stillness underneath all energetic movements. 

Nune’s work has been exhibited in Latela Curatorial x ARTSY “Women in the Arts” Exhibition, 2020; “Behind the Curtain” Exhibition, Latela Curatorial x ARTSY, 2021, and is held in private collections in the United States and abroad.

Nune’s practice continues to evolve as she explores new mediums and methodologies, seeking to capture the fleeting nature of human experience and stillness with continued curiosity, nuance and depth.