Ara Harutyunyan

Ara Harutyunyan
Արա Հարությունյան
Born (1928-03-28)March 28, 1928
Yerevan, Armenia
Died February 28, 1999(1999-02-28) (aged 70)
Yerevan, Armenia
Occupation artist

Ara Harutyunyan (Armenian: Արա Հարությունյան; March 28, 1928 – February 28, 1999) Armenian sculptor–master of monuments, graphic artist, People's Artist of Armenia, member of Academy of Fine Arts of USSR and RF, professor. His works are multifaceted and diverse; he is the author of more than 40 sites, monuments and architectural sculptures in Armenia and abroad. Ara Harutyunyan managed to implement many creative ideas. He is the ancestor and the founder of the architectural sculptures in Armenia, the author of grandiose monuments, urban monuments, indoor sculpture and brilliant graphics.Among them are such iconic works as the Sardarapat Memorial,[1] the reliefs of Sundukyan State Academic Theatre, the portal of Erebuni Museum, the obelisk to the soldiers of the 89th Taman Division, the monument to the head of French anti-fascist resistance movement Missak Manouchian and many others.

Childhood

Ara Harutyunyan was born on 28 March 1928. His father was a musician, contrabassist, and a chorister of the State Opera Theatre. In his childhood Ara was interested in painting, Vrubel’s works especially attracted his attention. His passion for sculpture started when during one visit to some village he found a piece of tufa and using the available tools hewed out a female’s head. After 7 years of studying at school A.Harutyunyan enrolled the Faculty of Painting of Art College from which he later switched to the Faculty of Sculpture. In 1948 two of his student works were represented at the exhibition in the foyer of the Spendiaryan Theatre (Yerevan).[2]

Mastering creativity

After graduating from college Ara Harutyunyan entered the Yerevan Institute of Fine Arts and Theatre, from which he graduated with honors in 1954. His graduation work was a bronze statue of Komitas, later installed on the composer’s grave. His early works:

Ara Harutyunyan's memorial plaque in Yerevan

Adulthood

In his later works, the sculptor finds his own style, where the nature, mood, and features of the characters are conveyed without the needless scrutinizing of details, due to the proficient use of simple forms, giving his works a sense of monumentality. His sculpture "The Portrait of Ida Kar" (1957) is considered to be the crucial moment. The following works combine the skillful use of national ornaments and simple but still plastic and expressive forms. This is a monument to the heroes who died for the liberation of Zangezour (1960) which is a low basalt stele with an ornament.

In 1970 HArutyunyan was awarded a Diploma of the Union of Architects of the USSR for the reliefs on the building of the Museum "Erebouni" in Yerevan, in 1972 he was awarded the title of Honored Artist of the Armenian SSR. Since 1974 was giving lessons at the Yerevan State Academy of Fine Arts. In 1988 Harutyunyan visited Philippines. He worked on the portrait of the first female president in the history of Philippines and Asia as a whole - Corazon Aquino, that was presented to her. For the creation of Philippine President Corazon Aquino’s bright and deep image the sculptor was awarded the medal of "Friendship of Peoples". In 1988 he was confirmed in the rank of a professor and was elected as a corresponding member of the Academy of Fine Arts of the USSR, Russian Federation. In 1981 he was awarded a medal "Badge of Honor"

Main works

Indoor Sculptures

Figures

Notes

  1. ↑ Sardarapat Memorial
  2. ↑ Biography of Ara Harutyunyan

Sources

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