Avo Tavitian (b. Beirut, Lebanon, lives and works in Los Angeles, California, and Getap, Armenia)

Born in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1954, Avo Tavitian’s journey to photography is marked by a profound connection to his changing surroundings. Shaped by the experience of moving to the Eastern shore of the United States with his family in the late 1960s, Tavitian developed a sense of being an outsider during his formative teen years in New Jersey and New York City, a sensibility that would later influence his decades-long photography practice.

Tavitian’s photography often focuses on framing everyday subjects, capturing moments on 35mm film while embracing the unpredictability of the medium and the mystical quality of the grain. His work reflects a deep fascination with urban landscapes and a curiosity about the mundane, as he seeks to document the changes and constants in his field of vision. Through this exploration, Tavitian uses the camera to navigate the complexities of belonging and identity in an ever-shifting human environment.