Armenian artist, designer, professor, member of Artists' Union of Armenia, Saro Galents passed away today aged 71, the union reported in a post on Facebook.

Saro Galentz was the founder-president of Galentz Cultural Foundation and professor of the Yerevan State Academy of Fine Arts.

He was born on October 15, 1946 in the family of well-known artists Haroutiun Galentz (1910-1967) and Armine Galentz (1920-2007).

In the spring of 1946, Saro’s parents, together with his elder brother Armen, moved for permanent residence from Lebanon to Armenia, their historical homeland.

He has graduated from Art Collage named after P. Terlemezian in 1965. From 1965 to 1970, he studied painting and textile design at Yerevan Art and Theater Institute, where he was actively involved in the activities of theatrical department, taking part in the design of student productions.

Since the beginning of 1970, Saro Galentz lived and worked in Moscow for about 20 years. In Moscow, he had been actively involved in the artistic environment of the Soviet metropolis. Besides painting, he had the opportunity to realize his interests in monumental art and design. From 1973 to 1987, art works of Saro Galentz participated in series of exhibitions – “Armenian Art” in Finland, Bulgaria, India, Sri Lanka, Syria, and Canada. In 1977, the young artist was awarded gold medal for the composition “Morning in Vilnius” at the All-Union symposium-exhibition in Vilnius (Lithuania).

In the late 1980s, when the movement for independence started in Armenia, Saro returned to Yerevan. He was invited to teach at the Yerevan State Academy of Fine Arts. Since 1992, he participated in the annual exhibitions of the Union of Artists of Armenia. In the 90s he carried out a number of trips to Europe and Asia, opened solo exhibitions in Paris (1998) and Nicosia (1996). 

To preserve the heritage of the great artist, Saro Galentz together with his mother and brother decided to establish Haroutiun Galentz Cultural Foundation and Museum. The family has invested efforts and financial resources to replenish Galentz collection and build the museum.

In 2006 he was awarded Movses Khorenatsi medal for outstanding creative achievements in the areas of Armenian culture, art, literature, education and humanities.