NON-HUMAN

by Gaya Vartanyan

Gaya Vartanyan is a London-based artist using ceramics to explore the human form, investigating the boundaries between vulnerability and the protective outer shell, the hidden and the visible. Born into an Armenian–Ukrainian family in Tbilisi, her creative perspective is shaped by a rich cultural intersection and a deep foundation in architecture, which she uses to redesign and distort the silhouette. NON-HUMAN is a sculptural ceramic series that explores the light and dark sides of human nature, evolution, and visions of the future. The forms channel an internal struggle—a dualism of darkness and purity executed through radical geometry that alters natural body proportions. Infusing the "alien chic" of theatrical, avant-garde fashion from the 1980s and 90s with the heavy, imposing language of Brutalist architecture, the series constructs silhouettes that are defensive, powerful, and unapologetically otherworldly. The hyper-exaggerated shoulders, sharp angles, and rigid geometry are not merely a nod to the past or a futuristic aesthetic; they are a deliberate way to reshape the human silhouette, making it alien, aggressive, and fiercely protected. This tension is mirrored in a strict dialogue between form and surface. The pieces feature a stark textural contrast, combining self-developed, harsh vinyl-like glazes and raw satins with restrained, deeply tactile, leather-like surfaces—an opposition that embodies the fine line between ultimate power and profound vulnerability.