YEREVAN — In the middle of a war, New York artist moves his entire studio to Yerevan. Key works from his collection premier at Latitude Gallery this month.
“Heart Flow: Spiritual Abstractions” features over 40 artworks by artist Vazken Kalayjian at Yerevan’s newest gallery in Vahakni, Latitude. When Kalayjian last exhibited in Armenia, the country was building itself up after the dark years of the 90s; 20 years later, Armenia is again in a state of rebuilding, and Kalayjian shares a message of hope.
“These hardships have forced us to reexamine ourselves – who we are now and where we want to be. We have to dig deep inside ourselves and stay vigilant. ‘Heart Flow’ is about being awake and aware in the moment so that we can seed the future.”
This is the largest and most comprehensive show of Kalayjian’s art to-date, featuring key works from his 30 year artistic career. Despite the hardships that the recent war and pandemic brought about, the artist recently relocated permanently to Armenia with his wife.
“The future is uncertain, but then again, that’s true no matter where you are. Now more than ever is the time for togetherness and creativity. The old paradigms don’t work anymore, we have to reinvent them.”
Kalayjjian’s last Armenia show was in 2005 at the National Gallery. Since then, he has actively shown in art spaces throughout the New England area, including Kaleidoscope gallery (New York, NY) and Read’s Art Space (Bridgeport, CT).
“Heart Flow” exhibits vibrant, bold artworks that are rooted in the artist’s spirituality: a personal philosophy that combines Christian, Shamanistic, and Zen learnings. The works are soulful and introspective, and invite the viewer to dare to be optimistic for the future.
