Gulf Times, Qatar
April 4, 2019 Thursday
Art lovers amazed by live painting of Armenian artist
INAUGURATION: The exhibition 'Reverence of Tranquility' was inaugurated by Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim al-Sulaiti, general manager of Katara, third from left. He is flanked by Stefanie McCollum, Ambassador of Canada, second from left, and Zarmik Haladjian, fifth from left.
By Mudassir Raja
Art enthusiasts gathered at Katara's Building 5 in amazement when Zarmik Haladjian displayed her skill and dexterity while drawing sketch on a big canvass using pours of her fingers. Everyone was excited to see the young Armenian artist showcasing live painting with her fingers using the medium of oil paint.
The painting exhibit 'Reverence of Tranquility' by Zarmik was inaugurated by Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim al-Sulaiti, general manager of Katara.
He was flanked by Stefanie McCollum, Ambassador of Canada to Qatar. The art lovers and members of the Lebanese community were present at the inaugural ceremony in large numbers.
The 12 paintings displayed at the exhibition bespoke of Zarmik's unique artistic style. The works express the vibrant spirit and atmosphere of her culture through the prism of art.
The importance of the artwork is intense and of momentous value, which highlights the importance of women, particularly mothers.
As a successful woman, Zarmik is captivated and absorbed by portraits and figures. She has always been fascinated by images and how the world is represented through the eyes of others.
The art lovers along with the guests had a tour of the exhibition with the artist explaining each work. The real interest of the gathering was captured by Zarmik when she started her live painting. Everyone was amazed to see how quickly and skillfully she painted her thoughts on the canvass while enjoying a lively guitar and violin music.
Talking to Community, Zarmik said: "The exhibition has my paintings that I have created this year. I have painted all pieces using my fingers. This is my second exhibition in Qatar. It is an honour for me to show my talents at Katara.
"I also love to have live art entertainment so that people can enjoy what techniques I use and what kinds of things I paint. Actually, it is oil colour painting on the canvass. This is however my first live art painting exhibition in Qatar. Previously, I have carried live painting exhibitions in US, India and other countries.
"I am very happy and excited to see many people coming to my exhibition. The theme of the exhibition is about women and especially mothers. Each painting talks about a different story – a woman. Some I have from my experiences and others I have based on experiences from others. At the end, life is a kind of unity. We have to share ideas, knowledge and experiences. Each of my painting carries a proverb that I wrote for my works. If you understand the art, you can read the abstract paintings about women painted with fingers. I do not decide what I am going to paint. It depends on my mood and the music I listen to. I enjoyed the live painting with the sweet music." Sharing details about herself, she said: "I am an Armenian-Lebanese artiste based in Doha. I am also a chef. I am also an international judge – a certified international judge in hospitality field. I am also a certified master chef. I have written 24 cooking books. I love to paint, to cook and to write. I have TV cooking shows. In Qatar, I have my show with Qatar TV. In Ramadan, I will have a daily live cooking show."
The excited Stefanie McCollum said: "I am very happy to be here to see the live exhibition by Zarmik. It is lovely to see how she paints live with her fingers.
"I am fascinated to hear from her that she incorporates her love of cooking in kitchen into her art and how music inspires her. You can see Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra members playing live music in the background.
"I also enjoy her restaurant where I go frequently. She also hangs her art works in her restaurant. She has been gracious enough to invite me today. I think her personality comes through in her art. You can see her passion and creativity. You can see that she has a theme – a woman – in all different forms.
What I like is the bold colours and the bold lines and the possibility to interpret what she is trying to say. She does not layer out explicitly for you. It is implied and it is abstract."