Glendale News Press, CA
Feb 15 2008

First-class students

Graduates of Atanian Art Center show their work at center’s first
professional art exhibition and sale.

By Ani Amirkhanian

Photo: Glendale artist Armen Tutundzhyan works on a sculpture at his
home on Friday. He will be displaying some of his artwork at the
Western Diocese in Burbank on Feb. 15. (Roger Wilson/News-Press)

Vladimir Atanian has witnessed his young, budding art students mature
into professionals.

Atanian, founder of the Atanian Art Center in Glendale, will have the
opportunity to share the pride he has in his students on Friday and
Saturday at a graduate student art exhibition and sale at the Western
Diocese of the Armenian Church in Burbank.

Since 1993, Atanian has been giving art lessons to children as young
as 6. Some of those students will be showing their work at the
exhibition.

`We like to promote young artists and young people,’ said Atanian,
who lives in Glendale. `That is most important for a new generation
of young people.’

Six artists from Atanian’s graduate class will show their work. The
exhibition – called `New Vision’ – will have about 60 pieces on
display, 10 from each student.

One of the artists to show his work is 19-year-old Armen Tutundzhyan.

Tutundzhyan started taking lessons with Atanian when he was 10. Over
the years, Tutundzhyan has honed his skills, and this art show and
sale allows him to showcase his work and sell it as a professional
artist, he said.

`Professor Atanian wants to give us freedom with art,’ Tutundzhyan
said. `He says he will teach us art and all art movements, but now he
gives us to the world.’ advertisement

Tutundzhyan, a Glendale resident, will be showing his oil paintings.
His work is what most artists call neo-surrealism, he said, adding
that his paintings deal with the human condition.

`I’m really intrigued by the relationship of humans,’ he said. `My
main theme is human relationships of the world and what impact we
have on the world.’

Tutundzhyan, a second-year architecture student at Woodbury
University in Burbank, is fond of Picasso, Magritte and Dali, he
said.

Other themes in his paintings reflect his experiences with people.

`I am intrigued with the relationship between man and woman,’ he
said.

Glendale resident Arpine Shakhbandaryan is another one of Atanian’s
graduate students who will be showing her work.

Shakhbandaryan, 26, has been a student of Atanian’s since she was 15.
Throughout her career as an artist, she has concentrated on
illuminated manuscripts, paintings illustrating religious icons and
symbols.

Shakhbandaryan’s paintings are centered around text, such as the
Armenian alphabet, poetry or scripture, and are elaborately designed
with religious symbols.

The work calls attention to the text rather than the image.

`It is religious in nature,’ she said of her work, which is composed
of paper, watercolor and 24-karat gold leaf.

She will exhibit her manuscripts, one oil painting and an acrylic
piece.

Several of Shakhbandaryan’s paintings depict the changing
geographical landscape of Armenia.

`The work is very simple, but the meaning behind the maps is that
there are phantom borders,’ she said. `These borders that we draw on
maps are really nonexistent. Borders are only created because of
wars.’

For Shakhbandaryan, the exhibition is an opportunity for herself and
other young artists to showcase the artistic skills they have
acquired after years of practice.

`Each one of us is unique in our own ways,’ she said.

`This is a wonderful opportunity for people to view such a diverse
collection and purchase it. Things like this don’t just come around.’

Atanian and the students have been working with officials of the
Western Diocese for the last four months to plan the show,
Tutundzhyan said.

Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, primate of the Armenian Church of North
America, has played a key role in organizing the exhibition.

After several visits to the Atanian Art Center, Derderian’s decision
to host the students at the Western Diocese was easy, he said.

For Derderian, faith should be reflected in art, culture and other
community activities, he said, adding that every single aspect of
community life should be organized in such a way that inspires
people.

`The diocese is the center of the Armenian church,’ Derderian said.

`It is our responsibility as the church – it’s an institution which
encourages faith – and it is also important to see faith incorporated
into the arts.’