CREATING WALL ART WITH AN ARMENIAN TWIST
by Maria Titizian
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Frid ay October 09, 2009
Shoghig Demirjian uses the "aypupen" to inspire a younger generation
When Shoghig Demirjian decided to decorate her four-year-old daughter
Lara’s room with works of art, she realized there was something
missing in the market. "I wanted to decorate her room with unique
and contemporary works of art; art that was fun and whimsical but
yet had a modern flair.Children’s wall art was everywhere. I had many
options of colours and designs to choose from," she says. "However,
nothing I found was truly unique. It was then, that I realized what I
was really in search for, did not exist. I wanted something personal,
something with meaning that would inspire her creativity."
With this idea in mind, Shoghig created Personalized Armenian Wall
Art. "Unique and personal, yet stylish and educational. Not only do
they add a splash of personality to the walls, but they spark your
child’s imagination with a graphic take on the traditional [Armenian]
alphabet," she explains.
Her artwork features the Armenian alphabet in ways which can be
appealing to a younger generation. She hopes to help mothers teach
their children to appreciate, the "Art of Armenian Calligraphy."
Shoghig’s foray into wall art was not an amateur endeavor. She
graduated from the International Academy of Design and Technology in
Toronto from the Graphic Design program, which offered her a solid
foundation in creative design. " I quickly dove into the workforce
and landed my first junior position. Over the past 9-10 years,
I have worked my way up at many creative agencies, which has helped
me to gain the experience that I have today. In 2005, I ventured off
on my own, and created Blue Mango Graphic Solutions," she told the
Armenian Reporter.
At Blue Mango, Shoghig let her creative juices flow and the result
is a beautiful collection of Armenian Wall Art. "It is a wonderful
feeling to design my own ideas and create products that I love and
that I am proud about, but most importantly I am able to instill in
our children an increasing fascination for the Armenian alphabet,
an alphabet which so well depicts a people’s essence, their religion
and the significance of their place in history," Shoghig says. "It is
rewarding for me to know that as a member of the Armenian diaspora,
I have contributed in the development of Armenian art and cultural
identity. The Armenian ‘aypupen’ is truly a work of art."
Each print can be individually designed based on the child’s name,
the color choices and all frames can be customized with various
different wood finishes and stains. Prints are professionally printed
on archival photo quality paper with a matte pearl finish to ensure
longevity and to avoid fading.
Shoghig’s inspiration for color and designs stem from the latest
trends in kids fashion as well as home decor. " I always try to be
at the forefront of design and fashion trends," she explains. Her
inspiration for different Armenian typefaces, which she uses in her
wall art came from various sources. "Just recently I was able to source
‘Pomegranate fonts,’ which is a joint venture between Carolyn Puzzovio
(a principal lecturer at the University of Lincoln involved in design
education for thirty years) and Edik Ghabuzian in Yerevan, Armenia
(a former Yerevan University professor who has worked on creating
Armenian computer fonts for many years.) As well the famous Fred
Africkian (Armenian lettering artist) known for experimenting with
the use of modern elements," Shoghig says.
Since launching her collection of wall art, the response has been
very positive. "Armenian wall art has not only appealed to urban, chic
couples, hip parents and their cool kids, but as well to grandparents,
aunts and uncles and family members that either want the perfect gift
for their little tot, or are often times confused about what gifts
they should take to birthdays, baptisms, birth announcements, name
days and all the other events that surround our kids today," she says.
At Blue Mango, your choice of colors and designs are limitless. Shoghig
will even customize the colors to match bedding and furniture. "Art,
cultural identity and hip decor all in one place. What more can a
mother ask for?" she asls. Today, at Blue Mango they are shipping
orders across Canada and to the United States.
And why did she name her company blue mango? "A blue mango would be a
very unique fruit. Unique in colour and in taste. Therefore, Blue Mango
Graphic Solutions provides that uniqueness; that ‘something different’
approach to all things graphic. And the Armenian Wall Art (the newest
addition to Blue Mango) fits this description perfectly," Shoghig says.
Ms. Demirjian plans to expand not only her company, but her creative
approach to design. "I always prescribe to the theory of innovation,"
she explains. "In the future I would like to expand into a variety of
different product offerings, one of which would be home decor. Creating
art (using the alphabet) that can be displayed throughout the
home. Again, providing personalized solutions for colour and design
that coordinate well with furniture and fabrics."