Transatlantic Dialogue: The French livre d’artiste and printmaking influences in American contemporary artist’s books.
Supervisor: Professor Sarah Wilson
Advisor: Dr Caroline Levitt
Bella Kesoyan’s research focuses on the American contemporary artists working in the medium of print- and bookmaking in Paris in the post-war period. The work aims to breach the transatlantic barrier and not only trace the social networks created by the American contemporary artists while they were living in Paris, but also to follow these networks across the Atlantic to establish long-lasting implications of the collaborative work with the graveurs masters in France for the printmaking and artist’s book publishing activities in the United States.
Bella Kesoyan is an art historian, writer and editor based in London. In addition to her work at the Courtauld Institute Bella works with contemporary artists and curators to analyse, interpret and catalogue the works of art for exhibitions and private collections. Her recent projects include The Sublime in Nature, a group exhibition, for which Bella was the editor in chief and a co-author of an exhibition catalogue “The Sublime in Nature”, published in 2021. This limited-edition publication won the Book Award at the Digital Printer Awards 2021.
Prior to starting a career in the art industry, Bella worked in Global Markets department of HSBC. Bella Kesoyan holds an MA degree from Sotheby’s Institute, an MS from Bayes Business School and an MS from London Business School.
Education
MA Fine and Decorative Art and Design, University of Manchester, Sotheby’s Institute of Art, London, UK
MSc Investment Management, Bayes Business School, London, UK
MSc Management, London Business School, London, UK
BSc Banking and Finance, University of London International Programme, Moscow, Russia
BSc Economics, Higher School of Economics, State University, Moscow, Russia
Research Interests
Artist’s books in the post-war period with a focus on United States
The development of feminism in the contemporary art
Contemporary printmaking and its relation to illustrated book
Transatlantic networking in the post-war period
Relationship between art and poetry
Publications
Kesoyan, Bella, Albert Godetzky, and Madeleine Haddon. 2021. The Sublime In Nature. 1st ed. London: Daniel Malarkey Ltd.