Komitas Museum-Institute

Grigor Khanjian - 100. The Painter and the Book

How did Grigor Khanjyan work? What stages did his creative process go through? What was it about Komitas that captivated the artist while illustrating Paruyr Sevak's poem The Unsilenceable Belfry? The exhibition "Grigor Khanjyan – 100: The Artist and the Book" has opened at the Komitas Museum-Institute. The illustrations for The Unsilenceable Belfry are far more than ordinary book illustrations. They are independent graphic works that rank among the masterpieces of both the artist's oeuvre and Armenian book art. It is no coincidence that they are now part of the permanent exhibition of the Komitas Museum-Institute.   For the first time, the exhibition presents around 40 preparatory sketches and etching plates created for the publication of the poem, alongside archival photographs and documents generously provided by the artist's daughter, Seda Khanjyan.   Visitors can also watch a documentary film in which Grigor Khanjyan himself reflects on the creative process behind the book's design and illustration.   Throughout the exhibition, linocut printmaking workshops will be held, giving participants the opportunity to make prints using the original printing block created by the artist. The exhibition will remain on view for three months.