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Edward Edigarian, An Artist By Birth

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  • Edward Edigarian, An Artist By Birth

    EDWARD EDIGARIAN, AN ARTIST BY BIRTH

    AZG Armenian Daily
    01/08/2008

    Culture

    In a small, cobble stoned, historic square in central Prague the
    passerby notices a strange name on an arched entrance: "Anahit",
    and then reads the words Art Gallery.

    As you walk into the small exhibition room, you meet Anahit, a
    middle-aged, 'very Armenian' lady who greets you with the warmth of
    the sunrays in the Ararat plain. On the walls you see mostly abstract
    paintings, with a strong element of Armenian medieval art. The bright
    colors and the shine of golden lines in the paintings warm the soul.

    This is not a gallery selling art from different painters. It is
    a family gallery, where the paintings of Edward Edigarian and his
    daughter Gohar are on display. Anahit is the matriarch of the family
    or the business manager of the gallery. Edward is sometimes there,
    just bothering his patient and smiling wife and asking her: "Anahit
    karank mi hat tsekhel - Anahit can we smoke here?". Then he convinces
    her also to light up a cigarette and then the double espresso arrives
    from the cafÃ~H next door and the memories go back to Armenia - 1960s
    and 70s Armenia, where artists lived a Bohemian life. Not much money
    and not even many modern or exotic painting materials, but a lot of
    friends, art lovers and plenty of affordable vodka.

    Edward is turning 65, with distinguished white hair, smiling eyes
    and a never-ending optimism about life, art and people.

    In 1988 Edward had his home and atelier in Gyumri when the devastating
    earthquake hit. He lost most of his paintings under the rubble of
    the high-rise building. In 1993 he came to Prague for a few months
    for a temporary painting assignment and ended up staying. What made
    him make that decision? " I saw the huge interest in art in Prague,
    mostly from tourists who had started to flood the former communist
    country. They were buying my paintings like hot bread". Later on he
    brought his family from Armenia; wife, daughter and son.

    Work and life in Prague also changed his painting style from a less
    abstract style of pencil and watercolor depiction of people and places,
    to a more abstract genre of showing human desires, especially joyful
    women and musical instruments, sometimes with red fruits perhaps
    symbolizing youth and ecstasy. Why the change, I ask him? "Well, part
    of it is what new painting material and methods made possible and part
    of it is what the European customer likes". But the Armenian miniature
    painting art is all over his works. The golden lines mentioned earlier,
    are a very graphic reminder of the miniature paintings in medieval
    Armenian bibles.

    Edward had a rich career in Armenia. He studied painting in Yerevan
    and later became the official painter of the city's Opera and Ballet
    Theatre. He painted many of the scenes for famous performances,
    such as Sassountsi Davit and Leblebeji Hor-Hor Agha.

    His daughter, Gohar is an aspiring painter now. Many of her works are
    displayed in the small gallery and they sell well. Did she attend
    a fine art school in Prague, I ask. "Well, her best school was her
    father", answers Edward with a humble smile.

    In the small Armenian community of Prague everyone knows Edigarian
    and everyone respects him. But in the one-hour I was in the gallery,
    a number of Russians also came to say hello to him, among them a
    talented young sculptor.

    Edward is happy with his life and work in Prague, but he is most proud
    of his exhibitions in other European countries. He can't hide his pride
    when he recalls that in a successful exhibition in Norway, they asked
    him to donate a painting for auction and the proceeds to be sent to
    the Red Cross in Armenia. "It fetched $5,000 and I was very happy,
    but when I asked the Norwegians for the money to go to young artists
    in Gyumri, they said we can't ask the Armenian Red Cross to give it to
    any specific group. Well, it is OK. I know that Armenia got the money".

    I ask the grandfatherly painter if art is pure talent or has a measure
    of learning. He smiles and gently moves his head. "It is both. But I
    think if a child grows up with art, like my daughter did and I taught
    her the technique - most people's inner talents surface".

    By Mardo Soghomian. Media Analyst with Radio Free Europe/Radio
    Liberty, Prague

    --Boundary_(ID_QRwkjAtzH0yjnKipceMpKQ)--
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