YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)–An exhibition of paintings and drawings by Karabakh painter Lavrent Ghalayan opened at the Union of Painters of Armenia this week. According to the painter–this may be the first time that a painter who lives and works in Karabakh holds his personal exhibition in Armenia.
Ghalayan paints in water-color–gouache–oil and tempera. His works are an original and expressive portrayal of the Karabakh war–the 1988 earthquake–Karabakh ravines and chapels as well as portraits–landscapes and still-life.
"We witnessed the creation of these works. Even during the war there were many people at Ghalayan’s exhibitions," the painter’s colleagues said.
Ghalayan considers himself a realist-painter. "My works ‘Karashen’–’Gandzasar’–the symbol of love ‘Mulberry-Tree’ and others contain a taste of optimism. And the Armenian people–their life and destiny have always been the source of my inspiration," the painter said.
Lavrent Ghalayan was born in the village of Drumbon–Mardakert region of Karabakh. He graduated from the Department of Painting–Yerevan Teachers Training Institute–where he was taught by such well-known painters as Edward Isabekian–Karo Minassian and Amayak Avetissian. Since 1977 Ghalayan has been teaching at the Department of Painting at Karabakh State University. In 1979 he became member of the Union of Painters of the USSR and is founder and Chairman of the Union of Painters of Karabakh.