A SMALL OASIS IN THE DESERT

Yerkir
April 21, 2006

An unprecedented exhibition was launched in Kuwait on March 21. It
stirred this country’s cultural life.

The exhibition was organized by the Armenian Gevorgian Gallery
represented by Sergey Gevorgian, the Armenian Center of Young Artists
and its head Khachik Abrahamian, vice-president of the Armenian
Cultural Fund Jacques Hakobian and the Kashatagh Fund for Assistance
to Families with Many Children chaired by Gurgen Melikian.

The exhibition was hosted by the Department for National Culture
of Kuwait.

Works of 18 young Armenian painters were exhibited including Khachik
Abrahamian, Gagik Barseghian, Albert Hakobian, Gagik Ghazanchian,
Hrant Mirzoyan, Lilit Soghomonian and many others.

“It is difficult to organize an exhibition of such large scope,
especially in a foreign country,” vice-president of the Armenian
Cultural Fund Jacques Hakobian says. “However, Gevorgian Gallery
and other organizations supporting this initiative did their best to
organize the exhibition at the highest level so that it would properly
present our country.”

Hundreds of people were visiting the Abdullah Al Salem Center of the
Kuwait Department for National Culture for ten days. Four Arab-language
and five English-language newspapers in Kuwait published articles on
the exhibition highly praising the work of the young Armenian artists.

The Armenian spiritual leader in the Arab countries Koryun Archbishop
Papian said that just like Kuwait is a small oasis in the Arab
desert this exhibition is also a small oasis in Kuwait. The Armenian
organizers of the exhibition extend their gratitude to the director
of the Kuwait Department for National Culture Halem Al Refaye and
the director of Abdullah Al Salem Center Mashaul Al Shalaffa.

“We made some arrangements with them,” chairman of the Armenian Young
Artists’ Center Khachik Abrahamian says. They wanted to organize a
similar exhibition in Yerevan where the works of Arab artists will
be presented. I think arts and culture are good bridges for friendly
relations between our nations.

About 4000 Armenians live in Kuwait and there is only one Armenian
school with 350 students. The Armenian artists visited the school
and met the Armenian children. The artists painted two paintings on
the spot and presented them to the school.

Abrahamian informed that the Armenian artists will present their
works in Moscow, Saint Petersburg and other cities wit the support
of Gevorgian Gallery.