Collage of Cultures: Interview with Lebanese-Armenian Animator Chantal Kassarjian

With a mastery of techniques as diverse as her cultural experiences, Lebanese-Armenian artist Chantal Kassarjian uses design and digital art to examine contemporary culture and encourage social conversations spanning the humanitarian crisis in the Middle East and the extinction crisis in Africa. Her unique approach to art is reflective of the complex dialogue created by her exploration of personal identity and her artistic training within such multicultural environments. artil recently caught up with the talented artist to talk about her background and her recent projects and short films - one of which has been selected in over 9 festivals internationally.

Chantal Kassarjian

artil: Chantal, when did you become interested in art? How did you find your current career as an animator and designer?

Chantal Kassarjian: Ever since I can remember I have been drawing and painting the world around me, including characters from my favorite childhood animated TV shows. I only became enamored with animation later on, after taking a motion graphics class in college and realizing how motion could breathe life into my designs and help tell a story. Nowadays I am very grateful that I get to combine my love for design, animation and storytelling at Disney, working as a Motion Graphics Artist for ABC News.

Still from “Recipe in Exile”

artil: You recently moved to New York City for your MFA at Pratt Institute. Where have you lived before this and where do you call home?

CK: Yes, after staring at a wallpaper of the Brooklyn Bridge on my bedroom wall for many years, I finally moved to New York City. Before that I had lived and worked in many places, including Lebanon, Ghana, Saudi Arabia, Kenya and even briefly in Greece and Italy. Both my personal and artistic identity have been molded by my diverse background and exposure to various cultures throughout my life. And, although I am very attached to my Armenian origins, I was born in Lebanon and it has been the anchor which I have returned to time and time again. It is the place that has shaped me and my worldview the most, which is why I think Lebanon will forever remain the place I call home.

artil: Tell us more about your family history! What was it like growing up and studying art in Lebanon within that context?

CK: With great pleasure! I am a proud fourth-generation Armenian from Lebanon and the eldest of two daughters. We spoke Armenian at home, but I was schooled in both French and Arabic during my formative years, and I learned English largely by watching TV. Given its complicated history and the many cultures, religions and languages co-existing within its borders, studying design in Lebanon was an eye opening and unique experience. I was introduced to the history of art and architecture in my region, Arabic calligraphy, local graphic novels and much more. I owe the Lebanese context of my education for helping me master many techniques and for training both my mind and my artistic eye to easily switch between different disciplines and languages.

artil: Did your familial and academic environments encourage you to explore your cultural heritage in different ways, or were they similar? How has this influenced your approach to storytelling in terms of characters, subjects and mediums?

CK: As a Middle Eastern woman from Lebanon, with an ancestral history of Armenian displacement and exile, there is a lot for me to unpack within my own identity. I think the messaging on both familial and educational fronts has been pretty consistent, as both environments encouraged me to be authentic to myself and weave in my cultural heritage as organically as I see fit. My familial roots have inspired my work tremendously, in particular when it concerns concept, character design and subject matter. But I believe my academic environments have been the biggest drivers when it comes to my approach to art and the mediums I utilize. I like to joke around that I am myself a collage of cultures which is why my work is diverse and eclectic. As an artist, I want to portray the best of my culture but I also do not shy away from controversial topics and important issues which need to be highlighted.

Stills from “Recipe in Exile”

artil: Your short animation film, ‘Recipe in Exile’, highlights the importance of staying connected to our roots. Can you talk about the ideation process? How can we further connect this to what is happening around the world?

CK: “Recipe in Exile” was born out of a craving I had for the traditional Armenian manti when I first moved to New York. As soon as I went back to visit my family in Lebanon over the holidays, we all gathered around the dining room table and folded the tiny Armenian dumplings, while catching up, reminiscing and sharing stories. This made me reflect on the history of this recipe and how it was passed down in my family from generation to generation, despite genocide and exile. At the same time, due to my personal attachment to the topic of immigration I was troubled by what had been happening in Syria. Ever since 2011, the political turmoil plaguing the country had led to a refugee crisis affecting its people, including Syrian-Armenians who were forced out of their home with many deciding to journey back to Armenia. Coming from a neighboring country such as Lebanon with comparably unstable politics, I identified with them and empathized with their stories. All of these thoughts and ideas culminated in a four-minute long short film about four generations of women from the same family linked through the thread of culinary tradition.

Inspired by real life events, I believe this story resonates with many especially in our current socio-political climate. Each immigrant family has its own unique experience with exile and finding a path towards a better life. Though personal on many levels, stories of displacement, immigration and familial bonds are also universal ones. My film highlights the added value of welcoming immigrants across our borders, as they can bring their rich heritage into a new place. place. I am proud to say that “Recipe in Exile” has been virtually traveling all over the world and carrying this important message to numerous film festivals, despite this pandemic.

See the trailer for “Recipe in Exile” here.

artil: You examine contemporary Lebanese culture through many of your design projects, such as the satirical magazine, Neswén El Forn, and the bilingual poster, Intercultural Marriage Taboo. Why do you think this art form is successful in conducting these analyses and conveying these ideas?

CK: Both projects you mentioned play on my knowledge and mastery of multiple languages. The biggest advantage of my culture in terms of design is that I get to play with letterforms and alphabets, whether they be in Latin, Arabic or Armenian. I do not see typography as a secondary layer of information, but as an integral part of my compositions. Letters can be seen as visuals, patterns and textures. Another aspect which links both the printed poster and the satirical magazine is that they have a material presence in the world. Both projects present a social commentary about contemporary Lebanese culture, injected with a fresh and new perspective on the old. But of course, their tone is very different.

“Neswén El Forn”

“Neswén El Forn” magazine is a satirical take on Lebanese housewives. The spreads I designed explore the theme of local superstitions, ranging from the "evil eye" to more peculiar traditions deeply rooted in Lebanese folklore. What brings all the spreads together is the use of photo-montage, vibrant colors, as well as transliterations of the Arabic script in order to preserve the colloquial aspect of local sayings and expressions.''

“Intercultural Marriage Taboo”

As for “Intercultural Marriage Taboo”, it explores an issue which I have personally witnessed and experienced in Lebanon. Being of Armenian descent, there is an underlying pressure from the older generation to marry someone from my own specific culture. This is a common problem in a country like Lebanon which is a patchwork of several cultures and religions. Young people have to deal with the repercussions of marrying outside of the communities in which they have been brought up. To portray this Lebanese “Romeo and Juliet” dilemma, I photographed two contrasting hands interlaced with Arabic and Armenian lettering, in order to juxtapose the varying opinions on the subject.

artil: How was your experience living in Kenya? How did you incorporate this period of your life into your artistic process?

CK: Kenya was a wonderful chapter in my life. My choice of subject matter matured there because of what I witnessed while volunteering in the community and the stories I heard about wealth disparity, racist injustices, animal cruelty and poaching. That experience planted the seeds for many works later on. For example, “The Last Rhino” was born out of a need to address the devastating effects of poaching. It is dedicated to the memory of the last male northern white rhino, Sudan, who died in May of 2018 in Kenya. I think the reason why the personification of animals is such a widespread practice, is because we wish to humanize animals, as it is sometimes the only way to make the audience engage and sympathize with their story. I purposefully wanted to create a paradoxical world to highlight the absurdity of our reality, in which one values a part of the rhinoceros so much, that one is willing to sacrifice the only possible surviving male progenitor of the species to obtain it.

“The Last Rhino”

artil: What can we look forward to in your future projects?

CK: Moving forward I want to focus on my newest animation short film which tackles the biggest thing on people’s minds right now, the pandemic and the consequent lockdowns worldwide. I am attempting a lighthearted take on the events as I find humor to be a good way of dealing with such sensitive topics. Unlike many who have been stuck with their families for months on end, I was left all alone in my Brooklyn apartment. All three of my roommates fled the state of New York and left me in charge of all 47 of their plants. I am happy to report that only 3 of them withered away. I have also learned how to cook and bake, but seeing as our oven stands on uneven grounds, my banana breads all came out lopsided. These are just two examples out of a series of funny anecdotes which I wish to animate. I already have a rough storyboard in place and a clear vision of the aesthetic as well as the character and set designs. But like many artists, I am never working on just one project at a time so stay tuned! And thank you so much Natalie for giving me the platform to share my thoughts and for your beautifully crafted questions.

You can see more of Chantal’s art on Instagram and on her website.