SELF-PORTRAIT OF AN IMMIGRANT SCULPTOR; CALGARY ARTIST HOPES TO CREATE SCULPTURE PARK
by Claire Young, Neighbours

The Calgary Herald (Alberta)
Final Edition
June 14, 2007 Thursday

Inspiration from a Chinese proverb — a journey of a 1,000 miles
begins with a single step — gave Calgary artist Vahe Tokmajyan a
foot up in a recent international sculpture competition.

The Armenian-Canadian sculptor, who moved to Calgary two years ago
with his wife and three children, was chosen to represent Canada at
the Eighth China Carving Art Festival in Shenzhen city.

The competition, part of the activities of the third China
International Cultural Industries Fair, selected 15 international
sculptors to join 45 Chinese sculptors for 20 days at the resort area
of Garden Above the Sea to carve their works.

The festival’s theme — starting point — was based on Shenzhen’s rapid
growth from a small village to a city of almost 14 million people. The
theme brought to mind the proverb about the journey and a single step,
and the idea of a large foot, powerful in form and visual weight,
developed in Tokmajyan’s imagination.

"I made a model, sent pictures and they chose me," he said,
understating the complexities of the process during an interview in
the backyard shade of an ash tree at his Marda Loop home. His work so
captured the organizers’ imagination that they chose a photograph of
him working on the marble foot to use on a promotional poster about
the festival.

"What’s happening in China is amazing," Tokmajyan said of his overall
impressions, especially the investment in public art and support for
artists such as sculptors.

The hardness of the marble provided in Shenzhen surprised some of
the sculptors, especially the three from Italy who are used to much
softer stone. The marble was about as hard as granite, requiring
tougher tools and chisels. The festival provided assistants to each
sculptor, something appreciated by at least one of the sculptors.

Belgian Pauli Ibou, who lives in a medieval castle given to him by
the king of Belgium, is almost 70 years old.

"No one expects him to do all of his own carving," Tokmajyan, 40,
said with a smile. But Tokmajyan was used to carving alone, which
led to a bit of a misunderstanding.

"I started to work on the stone to make the form. After three days,
the committee came to us and were offended that we weren’t using
the assistants." So he gave the assistants directions for working on
certain parts, enforcing his rule that they could only chip away at
the marble if he was there to supervise.

Participating in international sculpture competitions is what drew
Tokmajyan to immigrate to Canada. He decided he had to move here
while attending a sculpture competition in the Okanagan, where one
of his works is now on display in front of Vernon’s city hall.

"I realized these people need some art. You need to be somewhere
where people need you. I can see that Calgary needs sculpture," he
says about his adopted city. "My goal is, if I can create a sculpture
park here I will think that I have done something for this city. The
parks are so beautiful. I hope to find a company or someone to sponsor
this for Calgary."

Moving here has come with its challenges. It’s much harder for artists
to convince banks to give them mortgages than it is in Europe, he
says. Both he and his wife have had to brush up their English, and
although his wife, Lusine Harutyunyan, was a broadcast journalist for
a national Armenian station, she will be Canadianizing her skills at
Mount Royal College in the fall.

Tokmajyan, who has works displayed around the world, has taught
sculpture at college in Armenia and holds a master’s degree in fine
arts, was honoured this year with an Immigrant of Distinction award
from the Calgary Immigrant Aid Society.

Wood chips have drifted to the ground around a sculpture Tokmajyan is
carving from a large piece of walnut in the backyard for his second
sculpture class this summer at the Alberta College of Art and Design.

He taught in sandstone last year. Last year’s demonstration sculpture,
displayed in his garage workshop paired with a mirror sculpture made
of glass shards, is alternately titled Self-portrait or Self-portrait
of Immigration, depending on how he’s feeling.

"These two years, it captures the feelings that I had — sadness,
happiness and disappointment," he said.

Tokmajyan was born into a family of sculptors. His father, Levon,
taught him his skills and his brother Haik now lives in France,
working as a sculptor.

"We together have sculpture in the residence of the president of
Armenia," Tokmajyan said of his father. "He was the best instructor.

I love it — I can’t say if it’s because I saw it as a child or why."

But it is a part of him.

"Sculpture is a very different type of art. I compare it with music.

There are not a lot of ways to express yourself — some chords,
a phrase. Whereas in movies, for instance, there is a wide variety
of ways. In sculpture, you just have forms and proportions. You work
with shadow and light. Forms create the movement. Even compared to
painting, it’s harder because you don’t usually use colour."

Motioning to a wooden sculpture underway in the backyard, he points
out the curves and divots.

"These are symbols. You can’t see their meaning immediately, but
it leaves you with an impression. You don’t understand it, but you
feel it."