During this isolation of global pandemic, a friend of artist Guy Ghazanchyan’s – Alik Asatryan has launched an exhibition through Facebook and by presenting some of Guy’s works from previous years jokes that the latter had predicted the COVID-19 still back then. Indeed, there is some tragical gloominess in colors of these works, yet is there a grain of truth that he had really predicted the pandemic?
“I do not predict; I simply know that every year there are terrible things happening worldwide. This year started with fires in Australia, and now continues with global pandemic. There have always been such things in our reality and will continue to be, among them wars, casualties, disasters. We are currently living at times when any information is more than accessible, and I transfer all the emotions I have gathered to my canvases”.
They say that painters have been affected by this isolation the least, I mean our daily routine has almost remined the same. And in general, still during the cold and dark years in 1990’s, it was believed that among art and artists in Armenia it was only painting and painters who suffered the least. As an illustration to these are his parents, the painters from the 90’s and now him.
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“Sometimes self-isolation is a common thing to a painter, but I cannot tell that all these has not affected me, as I love my city and its daily life way too much. I always get both bright emotions and new sensations from Yerevan, and by getting inspired from the world visible to me, I have always returned to my studio and created my world. I remember the 90’s very vaguely, but I am sure that there have been difficulties for people in all sectors”.
Guy’s parents – Lilit Soghomonyan and Gagik Ghazanchyan, his grandparents on mother’s side Nona Gabrielyan and Van Soghomonyan are also artists. Being raised in a family of artists was his becoming an artist predetermined? Guy has no specific answer to this.
“Maybe I inherited this by my genes, I do not know, but the fact is that as far as I remember myself, I have always been into arts, while within the past 5 years into sculpture as well”.
In 2016 Guy Ghazanchyan received a President Youth Prize for a series of paintings “Outside the Walls”. According to him he has tried to portray alternative reality, a world, where the gravitational attraction has no effect and people are fully free in their feelings and wishes.
“Through this series I have also attempted to portray the whole beauty of free imaginary flight, by drawing parallels with an imaginary flight of a mind. I believe there is no freedom in reality, and that is why I have attempted to express the illusion of the feeling of freedom of life”.
What concerns the monetary award I received, I spent it travelling to Germany with my friends and held an exhibition of my paintings and sculptures in Wiesbaden city.
“I would like to take the opportunity to thank the Boghossian Foundation for the monetary award”.
Guy Ghazanchyan has participated in several solo and collective exhibitions both in Armenia and abroad, including Saint Petersburg, Lion and Germany…
He graduated from Yerevan State Academy of Fine Arts and Cité des Art in France. In 2011 Guy took Eduard Isabekyan 1st Prize for Best Diploma of the Year”.
What is there that he cannot stand in fine arts? As it turns out there is no such a thing. “I am simply indifferent towards works that I do not like”.
He has been forced to postpone ongoing creative activities, but he hopes that life will resume its regular rhythm soon, the borders will re-open and he will be able to realize his ideas. “For now, I can only say that I am doing my hardest than ever before so that I have enough works to host a solo exhibition in Yerevan”.
On April 9 Guy celebrated his 29th anniversary together with his wife, daughter and parents. Well of course there were no guests, like other birthdays given the current emergency situation. Guy’s wife – Araks Hovsepyan is a linguist, a specialist of foreign languages and it seems that their daughter – young Gabi has taken for her family path to become an artist.
“We have a wonderful daughter who has a great love for painting and keeps on drawing on the walls, on papers or canvases every single day. Thanks to my wife and daughter I can force myself not to leave the house so as not to endanger their lives”.
Ruzan Khachatryan
The President Prize to the Republic of Armenia is initiated and funded by the Boghossian Foundation (Belgium-Switzerland). The Award Ceremony is organized by “Hayastan” All-Armenian Fund. The prizes are conferred by the RA President and the representatives of the Boghossian Foundation annually.
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Photo Credit: Narek Aleksanyan
Other photos are from Guy Ghazanchyan’s works։ “Outside the Walls”, “The Freedom Illusion”, and “The Person that Learned to Fly”.
“Aravot” daily
16.04.2020
