Art that makes you smile: Harutyun Chalikyan’s exhibition of caricatures and sculptures opening today
Personal exhibition of Harutyun Chalikyan’s artworks has opened today in Artists’ Union, Yerevan. It features the caricatures and sculptures of famous personalities from Armenia and all over the world. The exhibition will be on till 31 Oct.
Charles Aznavour, Serzh Tankian, Vladimir Putin, Pope Francis, Angela Merkel, Ohan Duryan, Kirk Kerkorian, Egishe Charents, Sos Sargsyan and many others have all found themselves in one cool company! What unites all of them is that they embody a new art style by Harutyun Chalikyan which he calls Sculpture-Caricatures – a unique combination of caricature and sculpture art.
Harutyun Chalikyan is an Armenian architect and artist well-known for his brilliant caricatures of politicians, artists and celebrities of various nationalities. He draws with charcoal and has a unique graphic technique that differentiates him from other artists of this genre. Uniquely combining humour and art, Harutyun creates an amazing atmosphere of joy with his works wherever they are.
“My caricatures do not aim to mock or ridicule; they show the character and inner essence of the person. That’s why I often refer to them as psychological portraits”, – says the author. So if you want to learn more about someone just ask Harutyun to draw them – it actually takes him only 10 minutes to draw a masterpiece!
“You can recognize Harutyun’s works at first glance by his unique graphic style. And in his sculptures you can see his strive to show the moral beauty of the person”, – said Vladimir Abroyan, honoured artist of Armenia.
Famous Armenian painter Hakob Hakobyan once said about Harutyun Chalikyan - “He is a great master of drawing, with a unique ability to dispose the inner human nature of his models. Harutyun has his honorary place in our fine arts”.
Harutyun creates not only caricatures and sculptures but also medals. In cooperation with the Gold Factory of Armenia Harutyun Chalikyan created two collections of gold medals in 2017 – those of Presidents of the Big Eight and those of famous football players. Both collections were presented in an international forum in Germany in 2017, in Russia and in other countries.
Harutyun has presented his works in Paris, New York, Moscow, Cambridge, Yerevan and elsewhere. He is the recipient of international awards, among them Silver Plate award at the International Art Festival in Ankona, Italy. A man of many talents, he also writes humoristic and witty poems.
Harutyun Chalikyan has published a collection of his artworks in a book “Graphics and Sculpture” and is preparing to publish the second volume soon. Harutyun lives and works in Armenia, with his works having an international outreach.
When asked what gives him inspiration in creating art he said briefly and sincerely, “My wife”.
Photos are taken from Harutyun Chalikyan’s Facebook page.