Ani Volkan is the art instructor behind A-B Tech's faculty art show, which is currently on display through October 17 in the Coman Gallery. Volkan took some time to talk with us about her own art, which centers around textiles, old family photographs, and her Armenian roots. Originally from New York, she presently lives and works in Leicester, NC.
1. How long have you taught art?
This is my second year as a full-time faculty member at A-B Tech, but I came back as an adjunct in 2021. I have been teaching art for almost 12 years now in a variety of institutions, from art colleges, big state universities, to community colleges. I’ve taught a wide range of classes, mostly 2D art courses like drawing, and others, including Printmaking, Art History, and Art Appreciation.
2. Where have you studied art and refined your craft?
Well, I got a BFA (from Birmingham Southern College in Alabama) in Painting in 2007 and an MFA in Printmaking (from East Tennessee State University) in 2010, but I think what really helped me refine my work was my first artist residency at Anderson Ranch Art Center, which was fully funded in 2012. I lived in Snowmass Village, Colorado, for four months with other artists just making art…I also continue to refine my craft in my studio, which contains two presses, a screen-printing table and setup, and DIY paper-making tools.
3. What medium do you work in?
My medium is printmaking, but I also consider myself a fiber artist, as the work is usually created on fabric with stitch and embroidery as ways of making literal and metaphorical connections.
4. What was your aim with the piece (pieces) on display?
The pieces in the show speak to my love of storytelling and the idea that we are all connected with the same stories. I reference specific tropes and imagery from Armenian folklore and fairy tales… yet the image of the wolf (and) the idea of (a) journey with trials; these are universal aspects to the stories we share.
I want to show you something familiar yet fantastical—my wolf dev has horns. The pomegranate (in my work) grants immortality and jewels from heaven.
The large fabric piece in the show is the starting point for a new body of work that was inspired by a research trip to L.A. With it, I delve more into the roots of Armenian storytelling and create narratives that reflect specific gods and symbols. I also make direct references to my family and my heritage. Stories are the core of our identity, and looking back to the beginnings of Armenia offers insight into not only who I am, but where we all come from…