ARTIST USES SYMBOLS TO CONVEY EMOTION
By Rania Habib, Staff Reporter
Gulf News, United Arab Emirates
May 30 2007
Abu Dhabi: An Armenian artist has brought his work to Abu Dhabi in
a bid to promote an exchange of dialogue between all cultures.
Aram Dovlat is exhibiting "The Encounter", a 35-piece collection, at
the Cultural Foundation, in what he describes as various encounters
between man and history, the quest for spirituality, and a language
shared between cultures. The exhibition, which began on Tuesday,
runs until June 7.
"The Encounter" comes under the patronage of the Armenian Ambassador
to the UAE, along with the French Ambassador to the UAE, as part of
France’s official year of Armenia, which kicked off last September
and runs until June.
At the core of Dovlat’s work is the history of Armenia, a country that
lies at the crossing of East and West. "It’s a dialogue between history
and the present," he explains. "I don’t like to push my perceptions
of my art onto people; I like to leave it up to people to see what
they want."
"The Encounter" is filled with symbols that Dovlat uses to convey
emotions, including flowers, which symbolise peaceful coexistence,
birds which are bearers of good news, spirals for eternity, and
squares which symbolise family. The artist’s work is contemporary,
and the exhibition hopes to expose the public to a different form of
modern art.
Characteristics of Aram Dovlat’s work
Born in Yerevan, Armenia in 1968 and grew up in a family of artists.
Has participated in several group and solo exhibitions in Armenia
and abroad.
Dovlat uses selective embroideries, ancient portraits, frescos
and limited utilisation of colours, which are his outstanding
characteristics.
Dovlat’s work lies in between the contemporary part of his craft and
the history which he attempts to trace.
Initially inspired by symbols taken from Armenian culture.
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