The Sculpture of Martiros Saryan, in the park of art

Martiros Saryan

Sculptor L. Toqmajyan

Architect, A. Tarkhanyan

Marble, 1986

Saryan Park

 The park of art Right in the heart of Yerevan near Opera and Ballet National Academic theatre there is a park where the breath of colorful art dances in the air every day…I am talking about open-air exhibition and market of various paintings at Martiros Saryan’s park. At the centre of the park a unique statue in its kind and giving a new breath to the city stands. It’s different because in Yerevan where there are many statues it’s one of the few carved from white marble.

The authors of the statue are Levon Tokmajyan and Arthur Tarkhanyan. The master is sitting the brush and the palette in his hand. The name is Martisros Saryan. He is considered to be one of the main characters in our painting… the father… the ancestor… He had many exhibitions in different countries including Moscow, Paris, Vienna, Venice, Copenhagen, New York, Finland.His creative life had some periods. At first he painted symbolic and fairy images, then his compositions are becoming neat, the national symbols take modern elements. When he travels among Eastern countries he expresses a spiritual fatherland shaped in his dreams. Still life, flowers are following and Martiros Saryan’s art is beginning to include wonderful portraits, illustrations of theatre performances and books. He continues to depict the nature of his fatherland.

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This is the powerful individualism of the master. And did you notice that he is barefoot? So next time be attentive when you walk there. The idea is that he was tightly connected to his land and water, to his fatherland. That’s why he is barefoot to feel the ground as close as possible, and to express his endless love in his paintings. The result and the proof is his works depicting sunny Armenia with warm colors and atmosphere. The opening of the statue was in 1986, May 19. It is interesting that after that event here many young artists got together making the place like Montmartre in Yerevan. The café Kaziryok not far from there was also one of the places where the artists gathered.

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The young lovers of art were surrounding them, listening and admiring, asking advice like butterflies are surrounding the flower. The park attracts tourists as well. Many of the paintings are full of Armenian breath. There are pictures depicting Araraat. One of the painters said that people mainly buy pictures to send as gift out of the country. The day in the park of art came to an end. The artists are collecting their works. Some are smiling to life and are waiting for a new day to begin. Some are always with the same expression on their faces. Maybe today also they didn’t earn money for bread… And Saryan looks from above with the hope that the sun will smile with its warm rays to everyone.