Artist Sumbat Der Kiureghian's birth anniv. to be marked in Glendale

PanARMENIAN.Net - The centennial celebration of renowned artist Sumbat Der Kiureghian will take place on Oct 27 at The Armenian Society of Los Angeles (ASLA) Center in Glendale, according to Asbarez.

The celebration will include an exhibition of more than 60 original paintings by the artist as well as a collection of notable items from his life and work. Following the exhibition, Professor Talinn Grigor and Glendale-based artist Vachag Ter Sarkissian will discuss Der Kiureghian’s artistic legacy. The program will also include selected musical renditions.

Sumbat Der Kiureghian was born on October 19, 1913, in Isfahan, Iran. He was a descendant of 17th century Armenian settlers in the New Julfa district of Isfahan. He received his formal training at the Anglo-French Art Institute in London. He was a revered Iranian-Armenian artist admired for his watercolor and gouache renditions of Iranian and Armenian village life, folklore, and landscapes. By the 1960s, Der Kiureghian was recognized as the preeminent watercolorist of Iran, much emulated by aspiring artists for his style and subjects. In 1980, following the Iranian Revolution, he left his beloved Iran and settled in Glendale, California. Soon thereafter he opened his studio/gallery in Glendale and continued creating until his death in 1999. Der Kiureghian’s work has been featured in exhibitions throughout the world, including in many cities in Iran, Armenia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Saudi Arabia.

Professor Talinn Grigor is an Associate Professor of modern and contemporary architecture in the Department of Fine Arts at Brandeis University. Her research is focused on Iran and India. Her articles have appeared in the Art Bulletin, Getty Research Journal, Journal of Iranian Studies and other venues. She is currently working on her third book, Contemporary Iranian Art: From the Street to the Studio, to be published by Reaktion, London, in 2014.

Vachag Ter Sarkissian was born in Abadan, Iran. He has spent most of his childhood in New Julfa, where he was inspired by the frescos of the Holy Savior Cathedral and St. Bethlehem churches. The frescos, mediaeval miniatures and architectural motifs have left indelible marks on his artistic style. In 1971, he moved to Armenia where he graduated from the Polytechnic Institute with a degree in architecture. As an abstract-figurative painter, he has used mixed media. Ter Sarkissian moved to the United States in 1980. His work has been featured in numerous exhibitions.

The program is jointly organized by The Armenian Society of Los Angeles (ASLA) and the Homenetmen Glendale Ararat Chapter. Presentations will be in English and Armenian.