RARA AVIS | Gayane Avetisyan
28.11.2023 – 29.02.2024

​Gayane Avetisyan was born in Armenia, a country famous for its culture and centuries-old history. There she received a classical art education: from 2011 to 2017 she studied painting at the F. Terlemezyan Art College, and after that she continued her formation at the State Art Academy of Armenia, department of easel painting. 

The culture of her native country, as well as childhood memories, growing up, inner fears and the search for spiritual harmony are the main themes of her works. She creates her own visual narrative, mixing abstraction, primitiveness, realistic painting and neo-expressionism. 

The exhibition "Rara avis" will feature paintings, graphics and ceramics that the artist created specially for this project. In works from the Blackboard series, the artist reflects on the role of education as a key aspect of human life and the philosophical concept of tabula rasa, which considers a person as a “blank board”. In the series Dreams the artist allows the viewer to be moved into the world of surreal dreams. 

In works by Gayane Avetisyan you constantly see dogs and birds as main characters. These animals are prominent symbols in the mythology of Armenia, and the artist sees the dog as her alter ego. It comes from childhood, as every child dreams about having a dog, a loyal friend who can support and protect them. Bright and happy birds in the painting are the symbols of freedom and happiness but at the same time it is a constant fight with fears: the artist has ornithophobia.

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Aleksandr Blanar

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