Liana Simonyan finds magic—and herself—in clay
YEREVAN—From June 28 to July 6, the Pyunik Development Center hosted the first solo exhibition of ceramic artist Liana Simonyan, titled Hazaran Blbul. Simonyan, who was born in Yerevan and spent many years abroad, returned to her homeland in 2014.
She has long balanced professional work with creative pursuits. Her studio—Lisi Studio, located at 144/3 Verin Antarayin in Yerevan—was not founded as a business, but as a space for self-expression and personal growth.
“At first, I didn’t think this would become my main path. But over the years, the studio became a place where I started to find myself through clay,” she explained.
Simonyan returned to art after the age of 30, following careers in marketing, interior design and floristry. She describes her connection to clay as deeply spiritual.
“Clay is not just a material for me—it’s a spiritual world. It has a therapeutic effect—it calms, transforms and transports you to another reality,” she said. “These doors are truly magical. For me, time stops here and everything becomes peaceful.”
Her studio is both a creative sanctuary and a teaching space. It is divided into two rooms—one for group classes and the other for technical work, including a kiln and storage for materials. Simonyan studied pottery with leading masters from Armenia and Spain.
The exhibition’s full title, The Enchanted Garden of the Hazaran Blbul, reflects Simonyan’s belief in the metaphor of the mythical nightingale.
“We all can be our own inner nightingale. We just need to move forward with small steps,” she explained. “That’s exactly what pottery is about—creating something great through small, almost invisible movements.”
Her ceramic works are not merely utilitarian objects; they are vessels for story and meaning. For Simonyan, pottery is a form of freedom—of thought, shape and feeling. The act of creation is immersive, meditative and without pretense.
“I love my work. In every touch, in every motion, I feel life,” she said. “The act of creating is a meditation for me—a dialogue with myself and with nature at the same time. I don’t know where this creative path will lead, but I’m sure of one thing: I am in my place. I am here to create, to feel and to share that feeling. And I savor every moment of this journey—without rushing, without expectations, simply living the process with love.”
One of the most striking pieces in the exhibition is a flowerpot embedded with sculpted eyes, each with a different gaze.
“Yes, they’re about eyes,” Simonyan explained. “Eyes convey so much—different glances, different emotions. The various eyes depicted on the pot symbolize tangled emotions and how art sees everything we try to hide in the deepest corners of our inner world.”
In her hands, clay becomes a language—silent, tactile and deeply human. Each flowerpot contains a quiet statement about a person, a memory, an emotion or a source of strength. Her work invites viewers into spaces of stillness, so they can hear the voice of the material.
Following the success of Hazaran Blbul, Simonyan was invited to represent Armenia as the sole ceramic artist at an international exhibition in Rome, currently underway at a museum near Piazza Venezia from July 14 to 24.
You may follow Simonyan’s work on Instagram at @lisi.studio.
