“Searching for Paradise” Art Exhibition by Ararat Sarkissian

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YEREVAN, Armenia – On April 19th, the American University of Armenia (AUA) Akian Gallery in partnership with Antikyan Gallery, presented Khachkars (traditional Armenian memorial cross-stones) and Aybubens (alphabets) on hand-made paper by Ararat Sarkissian.

From the exhibition, 40% of the proceeds of the artwork sales will be donated to preserving the Armenian cultural heritage by the AUA Digital Library of Armenian Literature, the most comprehensive repository of Armenian digital texts in the world.

Artist Ararat Sarkissian stated, “I have always believed that a cross stone is a living thing. I went on to painstakingly recreate cross stones that were razed to the ground in Nakhichevan, attempting to give these vanished monuments a new lease on life through paint and hand-made paper”.

Ararat Sarkissian’s art expresses the retention of experience, of identity and of memory. Sarkissian’s work, post-modern, conceptual, and abstract in part, makes reference to ancient cultures, and not only to the important medieval tradition of Armenian illuminated manuscripts but also to the wider art of medieval and renaissance Europe. Ararat Sarkissian is a Member of the European Academy of Natural Sciences and International Association of Art and Honored Artist of the Republic of Armenia, and participates in international art expos and exhibitions around the world. In 2013, he presented Armenia in the Venice Art Biennale.

For information on the show and acquiring your own Khachkar or Aybuben, please visit: http://akiangallery.aua.am/current-exhibition/.

Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia and affiliated with the University of California. AUA provides a global education in Armenia and the region, offering high-quality, graduate and undergraduate studies, encouraging civic engagement, and promoting public service and democratic values.