Anna Novakov

Anna Novakov is a multi-disciplinary artist, writer, designer, curator and educator. She was born in Belgrade (former Yugoslavia) in 1959 and was raised in Berkeley, California. Novakov is a Professor of Art History, Theory, and Practice (Emerita) at Saint Mary’s College of California as well as a former Professor of Art History, Theory, and Criticism at the San Francisco Art Institute. Since moving back to New York in 2020, she has continued her teaching at Hofstra University and focused on her studio practice which consists of olfactory installations, wall works, and textiles. 

Her creative practice focuses on the transitory modalities of the olfactory and textile arts. As an artist and certified perfumer, Novakov is able to unpack events through a multisensory artistic lens by examining seemingly inconsequential things. While her creative practice focuses on conceptual perfumery and textile design she is also invested in the role of scent in the construction of personal and collective memories, fragrance as an aspect of Utopian societies, and diasporic cooking as a socio-political act.