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Al-Shorfa
Sept 8 2012
Lena Kelekian: 'My work takes me from science to art'
September 08, 2012 By Nohad Topalian in Beirut
Visual artist Lena Kelekian won the gold medal at the recent Olympic
Fine Arts Exhibition in London, adding a second Olympic gold and the
16th first prize in her career as an artist.
Kelekian is famed as an abstract artist and iconographer. She also
chairs several international art associations, including the Olympic
Fine Arts Association.
Al-Shorfa visited Kelekian at her workshop and spoke with her about
her artwork.
Al-Shorfa: Can you tell us about the painting that captured the gold
medal at the London Olympic Games?
Lena Kelekian: After the International Olympic Committee chose the
title "The Thames, the Great Wall -- Embrace the World" for the
[Games' official] international competition for visual arts this
summer, I did a painting with acrylic, pastels and ink on a
100-centimetre by 190-centimetre canvas. I used my own colours to
depict a complex scene rich with movement and intertwining lines that
show the Great Wall meeting the Thames as they revolve around the
central Olympic stadium [in London].
The painting includes London's most prominent architectural features
like the Big Ben, London Bridge, the London Eye, St. Paul's Cathedral,
Westminster Palace, as well as slogans from most of the sporting
events, and the Olympic rings.
Al-Shorfa: Why were you chosen for this competition?
Kelekian: My story with the Olympics began in 2008. I had an auction
for the abstract paintings I did in Sarajevo, whose proceeds went to
help the children of that city. I then received an e-mail informing me
I had been chosen to take part in a competition whose results would
qualify me to take part in the Beijing Olympics' fine arts
competition.
Out of the 10,000 artists competing in the first stage, only 100
artists reached the final stage and I came back from the Beijing
Olympics with my first gold medal and the Olympic torch for fine arts
in the visual arts [category]. The painting I submitted at the time
was also abstract, which I had painted in my free time during the July
2006 war.
Al-Shorfa: We know you more from your icons and murals. What about
your abstract art?
Kelekian: I specialised in geology, which allowed me to extract colour
from the earth. Because I love painting and art, I specialised in
icons and art restoration for 12 years. I was known as an icon and
mural artist and I did many murals in Beirut, other parts of Lebanon
and abroad, and I also painted many icons. In 1997, however, I turned
towards more international artwork and began doing abstract art, which
has no rules -- the opposite of iconography.
My work takes me from science to art and my constant travel and world
experience enriches me with culture.
Al-Shorfa: Are you organising art exhibitions?
Kelekian: I organise many of them abroad, as well as some local
events. Because I chair the Olympia Fine Arts Association, I invited
artist friends from around the world to draw paintings of the
Clemenceau Medical Centre. They sent their wonderful paintings and I,
alone, did 350 paintings of the hospital's other building.
Al-Shorfa: What about decorating cities with your murals?
Kelekian: I did many of those with my husband in Lebanon, specifically
in Beirut, Aley and Bourj Hammoud. In the last city, my husband and I
created beautiful murals and transformed a place infested with rats
and filled with waste to a public garden -- we decorated its walls
with Disney characters. I also designed the benches along the Ain
al-Marisa Corniche.
On the international level, we have murals in Rhodes, Sarajevo and
soon in Jakarta.
Al-Shorfa: What happens after the London Olympics?
Kelekian: My husband and I will participate in the Beijing
International Art Biennale, where I will also give a lecture on
September 28th. Then, I will go to Korea to take part in an art
exhibition in Jeollabuk-do where, seven years ago, I exhibited a
painting of the Phoenician alphabet and my husband presented a
painting of the Armenian alphabet. My sister Hilda showed her painting
of the Fatiha. They are all still on exhibition there.
In Lebanon, the international artwork [I did] was displayed along
Beirut's waterfront while other paintings of mine were displayed on
the Venezia and Le Vendome hotels to celebrate Queen Elizabeth of
Britain's Golden Jubilee, the Olympic Games and other such art-related
events. My sister and I will organise an exhibition of all our
previous work from the past 20 years at the end of this year right
before [my] Long Island exhibition in New York.
I am planning a surprise -- I will invite a thousand foreign artists
to organise an exhibition in central Beirut March 2013.
Al-Shorfa: What about icons?
Kelekian: I am working on a collection of icons in my workshop at the
same time I am also restoring a large collection of ancient icons from
the Roman Catholic Church in the ancient city of Sidon. These will
form the basis for an icon museum.
http://al-shorfa.com/en_GB/articles/meii/features/2012/09/08/feature-02
Sept 8 2012
Lena Kelekian: 'My work takes me from science to art'
September 08, 2012 By Nohad Topalian in Beirut
Visual artist Lena Kelekian won the gold medal at the recent Olympic
Fine Arts Exhibition in London, adding a second Olympic gold and the
16th first prize in her career as an artist.
Kelekian is famed as an abstract artist and iconographer. She also
chairs several international art associations, including the Olympic
Fine Arts Association.
Al-Shorfa visited Kelekian at her workshop and spoke with her about
her artwork.
Al-Shorfa: Can you tell us about the painting that captured the gold
medal at the London Olympic Games?
Lena Kelekian: After the International Olympic Committee chose the
title "The Thames, the Great Wall -- Embrace the World" for the
[Games' official] international competition for visual arts this
summer, I did a painting with acrylic, pastels and ink on a
100-centimetre by 190-centimetre canvas. I used my own colours to
depict a complex scene rich with movement and intertwining lines that
show the Great Wall meeting the Thames as they revolve around the
central Olympic stadium [in London].
The painting includes London's most prominent architectural features
like the Big Ben, London Bridge, the London Eye, St. Paul's Cathedral,
Westminster Palace, as well as slogans from most of the sporting
events, and the Olympic rings.
Al-Shorfa: Why were you chosen for this competition?
Kelekian: My story with the Olympics began in 2008. I had an auction
for the abstract paintings I did in Sarajevo, whose proceeds went to
help the children of that city. I then received an e-mail informing me
I had been chosen to take part in a competition whose results would
qualify me to take part in the Beijing Olympics' fine arts
competition.
Out of the 10,000 artists competing in the first stage, only 100
artists reached the final stage and I came back from the Beijing
Olympics with my first gold medal and the Olympic torch for fine arts
in the visual arts [category]. The painting I submitted at the time
was also abstract, which I had painted in my free time during the July
2006 war.
Al-Shorfa: We know you more from your icons and murals. What about
your abstract art?
Kelekian: I specialised in geology, which allowed me to extract colour
from the earth. Because I love painting and art, I specialised in
icons and art restoration for 12 years. I was known as an icon and
mural artist and I did many murals in Beirut, other parts of Lebanon
and abroad, and I also painted many icons. In 1997, however, I turned
towards more international artwork and began doing abstract art, which
has no rules -- the opposite of iconography.
My work takes me from science to art and my constant travel and world
experience enriches me with culture.
Al-Shorfa: Are you organising art exhibitions?
Kelekian: I organise many of them abroad, as well as some local
events. Because I chair the Olympia Fine Arts Association, I invited
artist friends from around the world to draw paintings of the
Clemenceau Medical Centre. They sent their wonderful paintings and I,
alone, did 350 paintings of the hospital's other building.
Al-Shorfa: What about decorating cities with your murals?
Kelekian: I did many of those with my husband in Lebanon, specifically
in Beirut, Aley and Bourj Hammoud. In the last city, my husband and I
created beautiful murals and transformed a place infested with rats
and filled with waste to a public garden -- we decorated its walls
with Disney characters. I also designed the benches along the Ain
al-Marisa Corniche.
On the international level, we have murals in Rhodes, Sarajevo and
soon in Jakarta.
Al-Shorfa: What happens after the London Olympics?
Kelekian: My husband and I will participate in the Beijing
International Art Biennale, where I will also give a lecture on
September 28th. Then, I will go to Korea to take part in an art
exhibition in Jeollabuk-do where, seven years ago, I exhibited a
painting of the Phoenician alphabet and my husband presented a
painting of the Armenian alphabet. My sister Hilda showed her painting
of the Fatiha. They are all still on exhibition there.
In Lebanon, the international artwork [I did] was displayed along
Beirut's waterfront while other paintings of mine were displayed on
the Venezia and Le Vendome hotels to celebrate Queen Elizabeth of
Britain's Golden Jubilee, the Olympic Games and other such art-related
events. My sister and I will organise an exhibition of all our
previous work from the past 20 years at the end of this year right
before [my] Long Island exhibition in New York.
I am planning a surprise -- I will invite a thousand foreign artists
to organise an exhibition in central Beirut March 2013.
Al-Shorfa: What about icons?
Kelekian: I am working on a collection of icons in my workshop at the
same time I am also restoring a large collection of ancient icons from
the Roman Catholic Church in the ancient city of Sidon. These will
form the basis for an icon museum.
http://al-shorfa.com/en_GB/articles/meii/features/2012/09/08/feature-02