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Victoria’s Secret model Rubina Khanzadyan is now in Armenia. She is here for visiting her relatives and realizing some photo shoots with famous photographer David Mushegyan.

By the way, Rubina is also a painter.

NEWS.am STYLE has had a nice talk with the beautiful model about arts, modeling and a lot more.

-Rubina, when have you been to Armenia for the last time?

-Last time I was in Armenia was 6 years ago, my parents and I used to go back every two years to visit when we were living in Spain. I am coming to! I will be here until June 26th. 

-You were born in Armenia. How it happened that your family moved to Barcelona? How old were you at that time?

-I think the main reason my parents decided to move to Barcelona was because they wanted a change in their lives and Spain was a country that had always fascinated them, especially my mom, who at that time was studying Spanish Philology in the University. I was almost 3 years old when we made our first move. 

-Then you moved to US. So, you came up with three different cultures: Armenian, Spanish and American. Which is closer to you and what do you think, as an artist which culture mostly donates in your works?

-Since my family and I moved from Yerevan when I was so little, I did not get a chance to grow up in my country, but I did get a chance to visit several times when living in Barcelona and my parents always made sure our Armenian culture, language, and traditions remained in our family no matter where we lived. That is why, I still feel so close and identified in many ways with my nation. 

I lived in Spain for 13 years and I am lucky enough to call that my home too. This country might have been the one that contributed to my craft the most. Throughout all those years I accumulated so much inspiration that when I began putting a bit more time and effort into my work when moving to the United States, I discovered how much my style resembled the Spanish artists’. I had subconsciously been absorbing all the art and architecture exposed in Barcelona, and now all I create has always a touch or hint of it.  

-You’re mostly painting abstract works. What inspires you while painting?

-That’s always a tough question because I can never give an exact answer to that. I think inspiration can be found in anything or anyone, it’s the set of eyes you’re looking at them with that constantly creates and recreates these images in your mind that you can later implement into your work. 

-How you began engaging also in modeling business?

-A few months after I moved to the United States, I began getting scouted by different agencies and one day I was shopping with my mom and a casting director that worked with some of the top agencies in Los Angeles saw me and told me I should contact this one agency, and after many months of skepticism around that idea I decided to give it a try and got signed right away. Things began changing so quickly and even now, after a couple years I still feel like I haven’t completely processed it all in my head, it still feels pretty unreal to me. 

-Does being an artist help you as a model? For example, for posing.

-Being an artist does not necessarily help me with modeling, but I do believe there is a correlation between both worlds; I get to express myself, just in different ways.

-What do you consider are your main achievements- both as an artist and as a model?

As an artist, my biggest achievement, aside from being able to sell many of my pieces, is the fact that I found “my” art, my vision, my style, something that will be recognized as mine, and although I have still got a lot of work to do in discovering my true essence as an artist, it feels really nice to know I have already come this far. 

And as a model, I am just elated to be one and to be where I am now. I have gotten the chance to work with photographers, designers, and companies I would have never thought I could work with, every day feels like a new accomplishment in this industry.

-Which is closer to you- posing? Or painting?

-Posing is an art I have grown very fond of lately, but painting has been my passion since I was little and it will always be. 

-You’ve mentioned that as an artist you are inspired by Gaudi, Picasso, Miro, Dali and etc. and as a model-who are your inspirations?

I have always found Coco Rocha very inspiring because of her sophistication, elegance, charisma, and her incredible posing and walking skills. She’s fantastic! 

-What are your main plans as a model and as an artist?

-As an artist, I am currently still selling my work and slowly working on a few strong collections to showcase in a solo show both in LA and NY hopefully. 

And as a model, I just recently got signed with an incredible agency here in NY, The Lions, and I am extremely excited to see what the future holds. 

Syune Arakelyan

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