About Maestro

Painter/Artists of his beautiful Motherland

Article about Maestro Armen Atayan by Ida Karapetyan
(Summary)

"Two paintings, two still lives among many hanging on the wall immediately caught my attention as soon as I entered the studio of the painter. These bright yellow sunflowers painted with large and thick brushstrokes, the still life painting of lilies called "Yasamanner" born of harmony of brush points and strokes combined. Seems I had seen them before- "When was it?" - An exhibition where they were stuck in my mind. Seeing them now after so many years I was happy to find them again. The colors had not fainted- they were as bright and fresh as the day the painter had put them on the canvas.

Staring at the paintings, for a moment I had forgotten about the master- he was standing next to me looking a bit confused but nevertheless satisfied. The style and the manner of the paintings of Armen Atayan are very unique and immediately recognizable. On the 21st of May the Maestro celebrated his 86th birthday: Hard to believe when you compare years with the energy of the master, his age does not match his personality. Day after day he spends many passionate hours painting en plein-air in the mountains and meadows of his beloved land, relentlessly bringing nature and breathing life into his canvases.

Armen Atayan has a rich biography. The aura of his family was instrumental in the formation of Armen and his siblings as individuals. His mother was a teacher of Armenian Language, and his father Arshak Atayan, a famous scholar, poet, teacher, and writer who translated the famous "Rubayat" of Omar Khayam into many different languages.

All eight children in the family inherited their parents talents. The eldest, Raffik, became a writer and a literary. Robert was a professor at the State Conservatory (author of the first book-series on Komitas); sister Irina became a concert pianist and musician who married the famous composer Mazmanyan. Armen inherited the talents from his two grandfathers, one a musician and the other a painter. He has mastered several musical instruments (piano, accordion, trombone, etc.) In 1937 his father got arrested (victim of Stalin repressions) and it became very difficult for the family to survive. Armen, sixteen years old at the time, performed with several orchestras to earn a living for the family. In 1941 he was among the first who volunteered to go to fight against Fascism.

He believes that it is his destiny that he became a painter. From early childhood he has been painting and drawing. His early paintings from kindergarten were sent to Moscow and exhibited at the children art museum.

His teachers were well known Armenian painters Nerses Israelyan, Koriun Simonyan, Vahram Gaifedjyan, and Babken Kolozyan.

After the Army Atayan studied at the Yerevan Institute of Fine Arts. Earlier he was a student of the Art College after Terlemezian. While studying he was fortunate to have Alexander Osmyerkin as his mentor for a short period of time. They became good friends. In one of his letters to Atayan, Osmyerkin called him: "A most wonderful painter of his motherland".

The diploma work of Armen Atayan was "Maxim Gorki and Avetik Issahakian on the shores of Sevan", and his supervisor was Armenian National treasure Martiros Saryan. In his comments Saryan praised Atayan and urged him to carry on. He stated that Atayan had fulfilled requirements for the diploma work with excellence and earned the high title of a Painter.

He continued his studies in Moscow: for one year he was a student of the Fine Art Academy named after Surikov. Then Maestro spent 11 years of his life in Kiev. He worked hard, participated, curated and organized several individual exhibitions. Upon his return to the Motherland, Maestro Atayan continued working non-stop. Some of the paintings of those years, in particular the portrait of his comrade/musician friend from World War II, were later auctioned at Christie's in London.

For over two decades he had been teaching painting at the Institute Of the Fine Arts in Yerevan. He has given artistic birth to many well known Armenian painters. Master of color, form and composition; owner of a unique brushstrokes, strong personality, modesty blended with harmony, the list can go on and on for Armen Atayan.

His dedication to his profession is what brings him to his bright studio every day. Today, full of energy and life, he is probably gathering his colors, easel and canvases to go paint in the mountains or in the canyon next to the river or ...

He claims that the soul has to work day and night, day and night - that this is the "credo" of the true painter."