I make sculptures that combine figures and objects in surreal assemblages resembling ‘characters’ in theatrical tableaux – that are often animated by synchronised lights and sound or performance. I also make prints which often function like proposals or sketches for my installations.
My work – through symbolism and poetic allegory – attempts to communicate my concerns about how identity is constructed and controlled via social phenomena including labour, technology, language, education, among other things. The narratives in my installations attempt to visualise these often dysfunctional relationships between individuals caught in these social constructs. In doing so I attempt to offer possibilities for better understanding and rethinking these entanglements. I often use strategies such as ‘breaking the fourth wall’ as well as other kinds of Brechtian ‘distancing effects’ to deconstruct my subject matter, as well as my own position in relation to it.
Instagram: @sam_derounian_studio