Elibekian Family Artwork Showing at Gallery Z

PROVIDENCE, RI—Four members of the Elibekian family with artwork spanning three generations, plus the late Henrik Elibekian, brother of Robert, will be at Gallery Z (259 Atwells Ave. Providence, RI 02903) in October. For every piece of Elibekian art sold, Gallery Z will donate 20 percent of the proceeds to the All Armenian Fund.

For generations, the tradition of painting has been passed down within the Elibekian family, resulting in brilliant artistic compositions that define the family’s artistic legacy. The show will feature paintings by Vagharshag Elibekian, his son Robert Elibekian, grandson Areg Elibekian and Robert’s brother, Henrik. The works of these three artists are different despite their shared heritage.

The elder Vagharshag was born in Tbilisi, Georgia, in 1910 and died in 1994. He directed Tbilisi’s Armenian Theatre and worked as a painter, portraying Tbilisi’s recent past with his carefully detailed paintings capturing scenes of traditional Georgian customs, architecture and lifestyles. His works are among the permanent collections of The National Art Gallery of Armenia, The National Art Gallery of Georgia, The National Art Gallery of Litvanya, and the Museums of Orient in Moscow.

His son, Robert Elibekian, was born in 1941 in Tbilisi, Georgia and graduated from Yerevan’s Institute of Drama and Fine Arts in 1969. His paintings are influenced by his academic background and by his creations of décor and costumes for film, theater and opera. He reveals an imaginary world of fantasy and dream characters. He has created numerous set designs and costumes for operas, ballets, films and plays, and his works are in collections of many museums, including The National Gallery of Armenia.

Robert’s son, Areg Elibekian, represents the youngest generation. Born in Yerevan, Armenia, in 1970, he graduated from Yerevan’s Institute of Drama & Fine Arts in 1992. Areg’s work predominantly depicts the bourgeoisie and contemporary streetscapes in Paris and Montreal. He resides in Montreal and travels to Paris in the summers to paint.

Henrik Elibekian was born in Tbilisi, Georgia in 1936 and sadly passed away last year in 2019. He studied acting, graphics and painting at the Yerevan Institute of Drama and Fine Arts. After graduating in 1967, he spent four years as a designer for the Exhibition of National Economy Achievements in the USSR before joining the Armenia Artists’ Union. Henrik was a constant participant in international exhibitions for decades before his death. Considered a classic artist of the Armenian avant-garde, his work expressed both emotion and contemplation in response to the alienating effect of modern civilization. His works reside in state museums and artistic funds of Yerevan, Tbilisi, Moscow and private collections worldwide.

Each of these talented artists is included in the permanent collections of prestigious museums all over the world.