The National Gallery of Armenia will host on November 10 an event titled “Retrospective Exhibition of Hovhannes Shiraz.” As Panorama.am leant from the National Gallery the exhibition aims to present the creative activity and the career of sculptor Shiraz- around 90 works -  in all its volumetrical transformations including ornamental sculptures and graphic papers from the collections of the Gallery, the Museum of Fine Art and his family private collection. 

It is noted that some of the graphic works authored by the sculptor are displayed for the first time.

Ara Shiraz was born in Yerevan in 1941. He graduated from the Yerevan Theatre and Fine Arts Institute in 1966. In 1979 Shiraz was awarded the State Award of Armenia for his ornamental sculptures decorating the facade of the Dvin Hotel in Yerevan. In 1977, he was granted the title of Meritorious Artist of Armenia. In 1987, he was elected the president of the Artists' Union of Armenia, and a member of the Secretariat of the Artists' Union of the U.S.S.R.

Shiraz' most renowned works include the busts of Pablo Picasso, Yervand Kochar, Hovhannes Shiraz and Vruir Galstian.

Shiraz's paintings and sculptures are found in many private collections throughout the world: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Tbilisi, Yerevan, Beirut, Paris, London, New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, Montreal, etc. Shiraz is also the author of Andranik's statue (2002).