Vibrant illustrations Pay Homage to Armenia’s Soviet Modernist Architecture

Dabaghian Diana 2019
My Modern Met
Sept 29 2019
By Emma Taggart on

Italy-based, Armenian graphic designer and illustrator Nvard Yerkanian pays homage to her home country with an ongoing series of minimalist illustrations inspired by Soviet Modernist architecture. “It is an ode to the architectural heritage that is either lost or unfairly undervalued,” she explains. “The main aim of the project is to reveal the beauty and value of soviet-modernism to the indifferent public through the magic of colors that accentuate the simple yet fantastic forms of these monuments.”

Yerkanian’s Soviet Modernist subjects include the Sevan Writers’ Resort in eastern Armenia, designed by Gevorg Kochar and Mikael Mazmanyan in 1965. The architectural complex juts out above the Sevan lake and was built to provide relaxation and inspiration to authors. Yerkanian’s illustrated rendition highlights its curved windows and balcony with minimalist shapes filled with colorful gradients.

Yerkanian has also captured the charm of other epic structures such as the now abandoned Echmiadzin diving tower designed by Felix Hakobyan during the ‘60s, and the star-shaped Central Bus Station in Hrazdan built by Henrik Arakelyan in 1976-78. Each illustration pays homage to this distinct era of design by celebrating the buildings’ bold forms with graphic shapes and vibrant color.

Scroll down to see Yerkanian’s fantastic architecture-inspired illustrations and follow her on Instagram to keep up to date with the ongoing series. If you like this artist’s work, you can purchase her illustrations as prints and more on Society6.


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