BIO
I was born in 1960, in the capital of Armenia, Yerevan. My family was my first artistic inspiration, as each member of my family interpreted art in a distinctively unique way. My Mother was my first teacher of imagination. She taught me how to love, how to be patient when life throws hardships at me, and, most importantly, she showed me that bright hopes can take me to a world of spiritual beauty. When I was only seven years old, my Mother took me to my first piano lesson. She loved classical music and was deeply inspired by it, which is why she wanted me to play a musical instrument. My musical education lasted five years, until one day I realized that instead I wanted to draw. From that day and on, a new world opened up in front of me. This new world was filled with colors, lines, forms, spiritual freedom, and, of course, filled with beautiful music. Today, more than forty years later, the house where my Mother, holding my hand tightly took me to piano lessons, has become the museum of world famous composer, Aram Khachaturyan. The walls of this house had been filled with history, love and creation long before I had my first piano lesson; and, many years later, these walls gave birth to a powerful inspiration that made it possible to discover the artist in me. In 1987 I, along with my family, moved to the United State to begin a new life. Since then, I am working and creating in the United States.

ARTIST STATEMENT

My passionate desire to understand life and my role in it played a great part in shaping me as an artist. My art is about me and my impression of life. My inspiration comes from people around me; from people who are able to think, feel, love and create. I am deeply inspired by human life, full of indescribable emotions such as happiness, pain, and appreciation. “The line” is the most important detail in my work. The lines in my artwork are not simple lines, but lines that can talk, sing and produce symphony of feelings. In my paintings lines are infinite; they have no boundaries. My artwork is a beautiful dialog between my creator and me.

Solo Exhibitions
1973 Children’s Art Studio - Yerevan, Armenia
1978 Pedagogical State Institute Department of Fine Arts - Yerevan, Armenia
1979 Trade Union Building - Yerevan, Armenia
1985 Pedagogical Union Building - Yerevan, Armenia
2010, (May 7) Retrospective Art Exhibition - Stephanie's Art Gallery, La Canada, California

Group Exhibitions
1984 Pedagogical Union Building - Yerevan, Armenia
1985 Pedagogical Union Building - Yerevan, Armenia
2005 Parsons Employee Art Exhibition – Pasadena, CA
2008 Pasadena Society of Artist Holiday Exhibition, Viva Gallery, Sherman Oaks, CA
2009 Pasadena Society of Artist New Member Exhibition, Whites Art, Framing and Restoration – Montrose, CA
2009 Pasadena Society of Artist 84th Annual Exhibition, Viva Gallery, Sherman Oaks, CA
2009 A Great Armenian Painting Collection, Tekeyan Cultural Association, Altadena, CA
2009 The Art of Giving and Receiving, AIDS Service Center, Pasadena, CA
2009 Parsons Employee Art Exhibition – Pasadena, CA
2009 1st Artists Choice Exhibition – Silver Lake, LA, CA
2010 2nd Annual Artists Choice Exhibition – Silver Lake, LA, CA

Awards & Honors:
2010 People's Choice Award (For Best Oil Work) "Live, Dream and Remember"
Silver Lake, LA, CA
2009 People's Choice Award (For Graphic Work Portraiture "Arlequin", Silver Lake, LA, CA
2009 Honorable Mention (For Outstanding Artwork "World of Sculptures"
AIDS Service Center, Pasadena, CA.)
1985 Pedagogical State University Graduates Art Exhibition, Union Building - Yerevan, Armenia (For 2nd Prize)
1984 Pedagogical State University Graduates Art Exhibition,
Union Building - Yerevan, Armenia, (For Best Artwork)

Affiliations 2008-Present: Member of Pasadena Society of Artists

Collections "The Ararat Motives", Western Diocese Of The Armenian Church of North America, Burbank, CA

Education 1972-1974: Children’s Art Studio, Yerevan, Armenia
1974-1977: Professional Art School (Hakop Kodjoian) Yerevan, Armenia
1977-1981: Pedagogical State University, Department of Fine Arts Yerevan, Armenia