Art: Guiragossian works go on show at The Pearl, Doha

The Peninsula, Qatar
January 13, 2013 Sunday

Guiragossian works go on show at The Pearl

Photo: From left: Jean Paul Guiragossian, Manuella Guiragossian and
Emmanuel Guiragossian addressing the media at the Anima Gallery at the
Pearl Qatar here yesterday.
(Salim Matramkot)

By Isabel Ovalle

DOHA: The first exhibition displaying works of renowned
Armenian-Lebanese painter Paul Guiragossian, his sons Emmanuel and
Jean Paul and his daughter Manuella, opened its doors yesterday at
Anima Gallery at The Pearl Qatar. Until February 28, the ‘The Family’
exhibition will feature 17 paintings – all of which have the human
element in common -with a price range from QR3,650 to QR328,500. The
show comprises four pieces by Paul Guiragossian, which he painted
between 1980 and 1987, another six pieces by Manuella, painted in 2010
and 2012, four by Emmanuel painted in 2007, 2008 and 2009, and three
by Jean Paul painted in 2001 and 2008. Paul Guiragossian (1926-1993)
was born in a family of artists. He was the first artist to do a solo
show in Beirut and also exhibited collectively in Europe, the United
States, Armenia, Belorussia, and Arab countries such as Egypt, Saudi
Arabia, Kuwait and Syria.

Among his five children, three pursued a career in art. Emmanuel, the
eldest, is a painter, sculptor, graphic artist, publisher and
musician. He belongs to a sixth generation of artists and grew up
influenced by his grandmother’s stories about the war. The other son,
Jean Paul, has also worked very lively throughout the years,
participating in numerous collective exhibitions in Berlin, Tokyo,
Paris, Madrid, New York, London and Los Angeles. Manuella, the
youngest of the siblings taking part in the exhibition, has
concentrated mainly in animations and had her first solo exhibition in
1989. In 2011, she established the Paul Guiragossian Foundation. At a
press briefing to launch the exhibition, Manuella Guiragossian said
that the artist can contribute to help people in suffering with a
positive approach to the problems that impact human life. “It’s
important for me to take positivity, inspire others and bring hope,”
she added. The family has one big studio in Lebanon where they discuss
how to improve their work. Both Paul and Emmanuel paintings are mainly
about the human condition, while Jean Paul paints about injustice
towards women and nature. It’s the first joint exhibition for the
Guiragossian’s and also the first one for all of them in Doha. Jean
Paul said that at first it was difficult for them to say yes to the
proposal of curator Ghada Sholy of Anima Gallery. However, “she chose
the paintings perfectly, selecting those that were connected without
competing with each other,” he added. The Peninsula

From: Baghdasarian