Today we’d like to introduce you to Tanya Mikaela, Rebecca Marie and Anahid Boghosian.
Tanya, Rebecca and Anahid, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Tanya: The three of us met at Ten Women Gallery in Santa Monica where we’re all artists in residence.
Ana: We all became part of Ten Women around the same time.
Rebecca: After hosting several events together at the Gallery we realized that we have a great working relationship – we really like each other and enjoy collaborating so that makes it a lot of fun!
Tanya: And what’s so great is that our creative styles all compliment each other beautifully!
Ana: That’s true, we’re all mixed media artists, and we all enjoy working with paper and paint.
Tanya: And a lot of our work is female-centered.
Ana: We’re each exploring issues around being a woman in our current society.
Tanya: Which is really in the forefront right now – now is the time to raise our voices as women and as artists! Plus, we’d been tossing around the idea of a collaboration – of doing a group show – for about a year now. This opportunity presented itself thanks to Rebecca.
Rebecca: TAG has opportunities for members to curate shows that include outside artists. This just seemed like a perfect fit!
Tanya: I’m really excited about this. After seeing Ana and Rebecca’s shows there, I fell in love with the vast, open space and how each artist’s work is presented with great integrity.
Ana: TAG is a really supportive venue for its artists, and both Rebecca and I have enjoyed solo shows there. Hopefully, our group show will be the first of many collaborations!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve all had to overcome?
Ana: We’ve each had struggles within our careers, I mean, we’re artists and we are women. Choosing a creative path is not always the easiest option!
Tanya: But when you’re a creative person, and you want to be true to yourself, there’s really no other option!
Rebecca: Yes. A lot of that is reflected in our art. Art gives us an outlet for self-expression and for dealing with life’s challenges.
Tanya: And we’ve all balanced the working mom thing – making time for our families, for our varying careers that have supported each of us over the years, while still finding time to express ourselves and make our art.
Ana: It wasn’t always easy, but we’re all creative and we all have a good sense of humor! And, our experiences around what it means to be a female in our society, though different, are all connected.
Rebecca: This connection became the natural through-line for our show. Also, COVID 19, the protests, and the upheaval in our current world have had a big impact in both positive and negative ways. But you work through all of it, and then it gets reflected in the art.
Ana: While there may be cultural differences, because of our backgrounds, we have the common thread of now all being “Angelinos,” which connects us, and which comes through in our art.
Tanya: That’s true. I also think this is an exciting time to be a woman. We’re seeing evidence of women rising up around the globe and boldly sharing their stories – it’s a great opportunity for us to add our voices, our unique perspectives and our energy through our art!
Rebecca: And that’s what inspired this show, really, how we each take our challenges, our joy, and our obstacles and put all of that into our work.
Ana: That’s why the show is called “Pieces of Me” with the subtitle “Fragments to Harmony”.
Tanya: Exactly, because this is what we do as artists – we take all the seemingly disparate bits and pieces, work our magic, and create something harmonious.
“Pieces of Me – Fragments to Harmony” – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Rebecca: Well, our story is unique because we’re not a business, but rather, a trio of artists who all share a love of mixed media and an appreciation for each other’s work.
Ana: We all came together to create this show at TAG Gallery. This is our first collaboration, but who knows what’s next!
Tanya: I think what sets us apart is our use of materials. All three of us are mixed media artists, and again, the through-line for us is our fascination with exploring the images and ideals of the feminine. Plus, we all embrace collage elements in our work. My art is actually entirely collage and often inspired by my spiritual journey. I rarely use any paint at all, and I think of what I do as painting with paper because I layer bits of torn paper, like strokes of paint, to create all my images.
Rebecca: My work, inspired by experiences and emotions, is made by combining textured paper and paint in lots of layers. I really like the surprise element that gets added in with different materials.
Ana: I always think of my work as storytelling, and the use of all the different materials as the words to paint a picture, so to speak. I feel that we all use the same methodology to tell our different and unique stories!
Tanya: I’m excited about our show, I think it’s going to be powerful!
Rebecca: “Pieces of Me – Fragments to Harmony” runs from Oct 6th through Oct 31st at TAG Gallery in Los Angeles. Because of COVID, the gallery will open by appointment only, but the entire show can be viewed online. We’ll also be hosting online events that will be available at TagGallery.net.
Tanya: Look for our “Meet the Artists” event, which will be happening virtually on October 10th. The gallery website, TagGallery.net, will have all the details. You can also reach out to any of us through our own emails for more information.
TANYA ・ [email protected]
REBECCA・ art.rebeccamarie@
ANA・ [email protected]
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Tanya: For me, I’d say that it was having my collage of Obama selected by Shepard Fairey to hang in the Manifest Hope show in Washington DC during the inauguration. It has since been included in the book, Art for Obama and had a two-page spread in Politico Magazine. That was cool!
Rebecca: I think for me, the moments that mean the most are when I talk with someone who has made an emotional connection to my work – when they let me know that it has impacted them in a meaningful way. That’s a pretty great feeling!
Ana: Realizing that I had actual collectors, and having celebrities like Regina King select two of my pieces for her office, shortly before winning a Golden Globe, was really validating. That was a proud moment for me.
Contact Info:
- Website: tanyamikaela.com rmarieart.com anahidboghosian.com
- Email: [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
- Instagram: @tanyamikaelaart @rebecca_marie_art @anahidboghosian
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