Artist Tigran Tsitoghdzyan envisions Los Angeles as a woman on our August issue
Tigran Tsitoghdzyan, who created the cover of Los Angeles magazine’s Best of L.A. issue, knows that in Los Angeles, it’s all about who you know. And not for networking purposes — though it certainly helps to nail down those big city dreams. Instead, it’s how Tsitoghdzyan grew to appreciate the beauty of L.A. “I didn’t know many people there at first, so I wasn’t understanding the city,” says the Armenian artist. “Then when I started meeting cool people, I think that I started seeing L.A. from inside out.” Los Angeles is a city that’s more than meets the eye, as reflected by Tsitoghdzyan’s Best of L.A. cover. “It’s about self-expression through social media,” he explains of the piece. “It’s also [about] the conception of the beauty and the pressure we have through social media; what we’re sharing on our social media; and what we are hiding.”
Repurposed from his series Mirrors, the piece frames a woman’s face — both hidden by her hands but unhidden with her face layered over, like an Instagram filter.
“Self Isolation,” oil on canvas (2019)Credit: Courtesy Tigran Tsitoghdzyan
For the original Mirrors portraits, the painting process takes about a month or two. Tsitoghdzyan will often paint anywhere from 12-16 hours a day, with his most productive streak occurring when everyone has gone to bed and he can focus until the sun comes up. When Tsitoghdzyan spends time in Los Angeles, he often finds himself relishing what he can’t find in a big city like New York: nature. He’ll opt to hit the beach or somewhere in the mountains, though he’s still well-versed in the more metropolitan edges of our city. He has plans to open an L.A. boutique for his fashion brand with designer Armine Ohanyan in 2027.
Tsitoghdzyan with his work “Mirror” (2012)Credit: Courtesy Tigran Tsitoghdzyan
But first, their streetwear label Hayeli will debut a flagship in New York’s Soho in September and return to Paris Fashion Week in February. Also on the docket, Tsitoghdzyan is working toward art shows and exhibitions in Milan, Yerevan and Miami — just to name a few. In the meantime, he’s also trying out sculpture work.
“I’m painting a lot,” he says. “I’m not a very social person, so I’m not hunting [down] people for shows. … I’ve been lucky enough to be able to show at some cool places so far.”
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