17 JUN 2020 My name is Haik Avanian and I was born in Yerevan, Armenia—then the USSR. My family and I moved to the U.S. in 1995 through the green card lottery program; I lived and went to school in Toledo, Ohio and have been living in Brooklyn for the last 10 years. I’ve been running an independent design studio named HAIKOO since 2016 with the help of my girlfriend Andrea, who handles all of the operations. The studio is pretty open ended, but we’re drifting toward music and film. Entertainment is a powerful platform in how accessible it can be and how far it can reach and ultimately how deep of an impact it can have and that is very exciting for us.

The BLM movement is nothing short of inspiring. It has become a global movement and it warms my heart to be among such diverse crowds of people in protests and gatherings around the city. It feels like everyone showed up.

I am, of course, completely disgusted by the behavior of the NYPD and police across the country for their display of brutality and violence. Snoop Dogg said it brilliantly in a meme on Instagram, “If the police never did wrong, people would trust them.” The meme reads, “Nobody ever made a song called ‘f*ck the fire department.'” Speaking of which, can we talk about how this message has been embedded in hip hop since the very beginning? And how it was demonized and gaslit into seeming violent to the world? I watched a 2Pac interview from 1992 recently where he talks about Trump as a symbol of unchecked power in America. 1992. Fuck the police is just self defense.

We have to look at the entire picture and understand that the whole structure needs to be dismantled. I think this is finally happening now on a much wider scale—ideas that were considered extreme a few months ago, like defunding police, are now supported by a surprisingly large chunk of Americans.

The effect from COVID was immediate—I had to come back to working from home (I had a desk at XXXI in the East Village for about 3-4 months). I oddly got new client work from it too—photoshoots and video based ads were cancelled and re-thought into 3D animations and renders. Lots of people are in need of an extra set of flexible hands because they lost so many resources. I feel completely lucky and privileged through this whole thing already having the setup to work from home and the ability to quarantine and socially distance easily. It feels like the lifestyle I developed organically over the last 4 years fits right into this weird constrained situation.

I love walking in the city, so that's been my go-to from day one in terms of exercise and just refreshing my brain a bit. I typically walk from my place in Park Slope to somewhere in lower Manhattan and back--kind of making up the route as I go along, taking detours to look at new graffiti, which there is A LOT OF, taking pictures and so on.

I’m super inspired by the activism that is now part of our daily lives. The next generation is terrifying because they more or less grew up with the internet as an inherent part of their lives, so it feels like they’re going to be able to get shit done. Things like KPOP fans trolling the Trump administration don’t hurt.

The graffiti I’m finding around Gowanus, the Manhattan bridge and various parts of Chinatown have been super inspiring to me as well. Unexpected color combinations, unexplainably clean lines, hilarious names and puns, fun compositions and juxtapositions. The galleries are closed but the streets are extra open. I’ve seen some really beautiful pieces on empty storefront windows. As always music is my lifeblood, as well—so delving into new genres, spending time finding a new album or artist I love.

I’m looking forward to being able to travel and visit my family again. I’m looking forward to finding my next studio space so that I can invite people to collaborate with in person. Furthering self initiated stuff—I have an animated short in the works with Playlab, some fun stuff with my friend the rapper SAYMO. I’m awaiting the releases of two music videos I worked on with Hype Williams. Lots going on, I feel super lucky and proud!

Follow me on Instagram! I don't sell anything YET, but there will be toys and other goodies in the near future.