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ianyan Magazine
March 10 2013
Arts & Entertainment
The Art of Armenian Artist Hakob Hakobian
Posted by Liana Aghajanian on March 10, 2013 at 1:00 pm
Famed Armenian painter Hakob Hakobian (Hakobyan) passed away March 8
at the age of 89. Born in Egypt to refugee parents fleeing the
Armenian Genocide and educated at the Melkonian Armenian School in
Cyprus, Hakobian relocated to Soviet Armenia in 1962, staying there
until his death.
His art is currently part of a new exhibition of Soviet and
contemporary art from Central Asia and the Caucasus that opened just
four days before his death at the Sotheby's auction house in London
called `At The Crossroads: Contemporary Art From The Caucasus And
Central Asia.
Henrik Igityan, founder of the first Museum of Modern Art in the USRR
once described Hakobian's art `quite accesible, while demanding deep
penetration and complexity,' according to Sotheby's catalogue notes on
Hakobian written by Sabina Sadova. `Hakobyan introduced a new facet to
Armenian art, a facet that makes him powerful from colorists.'
More from Sotheby's catalogue notes:
`His palette is calm and dominated by muted ochres and brown hues. His
linear, mostly vertical calculated compositions convey feelings of
displacement,nostalgia and muteness. Hakobyan's motifs contain none of
the traditional Armenian elements as established by Saryan, though the
feelings expressed by his works intimately reflect the feelings of
Armenians towards their land and their turbulent past. His works exude
a very contemporary feel.'
`...there is a language of symbols that the artist develops in order to
construct his own version of Armenian national identity. The road is a
symbol that carries a special meaning to the Armenian people. It
illustrates the history of frequent and forced resettlement that
shaped Armenian identity. The mathematical precision of Hakobyan's art
is perhaps as important for its understanding as the symbols he uses.
The road and the pole are present in most of Hakobyan's landscapes in
both his early and late periods.'
Hakobian was also featured in the 2009 film `Armenian Exile' by
Canadian-Armenian Hagop Goudsouzian. `I also don't know what Armenian
means,' he tells the camera, `yet I am Armenian. It wasn't my
decision. It's nature's decision, a decision that took thousands of
years.'
Here's a slideshow below featuring Hakobian's works, Learn more about
this famed Armenian artist here.
http://www.ianyanmag.com/2013/03/10/the-art-of-armenian-artist-hakob-hakobian/
March 10 2013
Arts & Entertainment
The Art of Armenian Artist Hakob Hakobian
Posted by Liana Aghajanian on March 10, 2013 at 1:00 pm
Famed Armenian painter Hakob Hakobian (Hakobyan) passed away March 8
at the age of 89. Born in Egypt to refugee parents fleeing the
Armenian Genocide and educated at the Melkonian Armenian School in
Cyprus, Hakobian relocated to Soviet Armenia in 1962, staying there
until his death.
His art is currently part of a new exhibition of Soviet and
contemporary art from Central Asia and the Caucasus that opened just
four days before his death at the Sotheby's auction house in London
called `At The Crossroads: Contemporary Art From The Caucasus And
Central Asia.
Henrik Igityan, founder of the first Museum of Modern Art in the USRR
once described Hakobian's art `quite accesible, while demanding deep
penetration and complexity,' according to Sotheby's catalogue notes on
Hakobian written by Sabina Sadova. `Hakobyan introduced a new facet to
Armenian art, a facet that makes him powerful from colorists.'
More from Sotheby's catalogue notes:
`His palette is calm and dominated by muted ochres and brown hues. His
linear, mostly vertical calculated compositions convey feelings of
displacement,nostalgia and muteness. Hakobyan's motifs contain none of
the traditional Armenian elements as established by Saryan, though the
feelings expressed by his works intimately reflect the feelings of
Armenians towards their land and their turbulent past. His works exude
a very contemporary feel.'
`...there is a language of symbols that the artist develops in order to
construct his own version of Armenian national identity. The road is a
symbol that carries a special meaning to the Armenian people. It
illustrates the history of frequent and forced resettlement that
shaped Armenian identity. The mathematical precision of Hakobyan's art
is perhaps as important for its understanding as the symbols he uses.
The road and the pole are present in most of Hakobyan's landscapes in
both his early and late periods.'
Hakobian was also featured in the 2009 film `Armenian Exile' by
Canadian-Armenian Hagop Goudsouzian. `I also don't know what Armenian
means,' he tells the camera, `yet I am Armenian. It wasn't my
decision. It's nature's decision, a decision that took thousands of
years.'
Here's a slideshow below featuring Hakobian's works, Learn more about
this famed Armenian artist here.
http://www.ianyanmag.com/2013/03/10/the-art-of-armenian-artist-hakob-hakobian/