Agop Gemdjian

About Agop Gemdjian

Agop Gemdjian is a Bulgaria-born artist of Armenian descent. Gemdjian’s works have been exhibited hundreds of times in national juried exhibitions in Bulgaria, the Netherlands, the UK, Germany, Canada, Russia, the United States and more, as well as in solo exhibitions and even in various television shows and films. He uses various mediums, including painting, sculpture, and printmaking to translate his life experiences and emotions into works of art that can, in-turn, tell these stories to the viewer. He considers himself to be reaching his “artistic maturity,” and is using all if his life experiences from the past 66 years as inspiration for his work.

Gemgjian has a deep, soulful connection with his work and strives to use his subconscious to guide his creative process, stating that the goal of his work “is to be directed by my instincts and my emotions while creating” so that his viewers may experience the world and emotions as he does. The result of this process is works of art that are both whimsical and almost childlike but also a little dark in imagery.

“I have shown my work in more than 25 solo exhibitions. My art is shown in more than 100 juried and invitational exhibitions in USA. I have Prizes and Awards for my work in Painting, Sculpture, Drawings and Photography. My work is used in several motion pictures and TV shows. Many articles and interviews have been published in journals, newspapers and web blogs. My work is included in the collections of The Walker Group, Amoco Art Collection, Barnes Associates, Westinghouse Art Collection and Museums University’s and private collections in more than 15 countries as France, Germany, Canada US, UK and Japan. In my work I strive to awaken associations and emotions in the viewer that would bring him to the same spiritual state as I am in while working, not by shocking him but by inviting a closer scrutiny of the world. My credo, my emotions, my thoughts and insights, my troubles, joys and dreams are all in my works.”

Education:

1990 -Entitled to practice visual arts–equal to a bachelor’s degree as a certified member of the Union of Bulgarian Artists.

1972-1976–College of National Economics, Varna, Bulgaria Bachelor’s degree: Data Processing of Economic Information, Varna, Bulgaria

1993–Freelance artist for Marvel and DC Comics, NYC.

Artist Statement

After several years of work in graphic techniques, painting, sculpture, and art installations, I am now reaching my artistic maturity, as I am creating art, using all my experiences as an artist and a person, an Armenian by origin, born and raised in Bulgaria, and now working in The United States. In my work I combine the bright colors of the east, the Slavic mentality, and my views of the modern world, the inner force of the icons and dynamics of the contemporary world.

With my work I’d like to discover beauty in everything, its meaning, its independent existence. I’d like to reveal everything which surrounds us – words, objects, sounds, feelings, and signs.

I believe that direct contact between my soul and my hand is the only way to express the reality of our surroundings.

My goal is to be directed by my instincts and my emotions while creating, to be influenced by the subconscious view of the image and the idea of merging with my art beyond the level of my five senses.

I strive to awaken associations and emotions in the viewer that would bring him to the same spiritual state as I am in while working, not by shocking him but by inviting a closer scrutiny of the world.

My credo, my emotions and feelings, my thoughts, memories and insights, my troubles, joys and dreams are all in my works.