Numerous styles and trends at first sight make some confused and controversial situation in the artistic reality of present time. So it would be rather difficult to make a right choice among them. Either difficult is to announce about one’s own existenceas a creative personality.

The young artist Artem Melik-Azaryants boldly shows his own style in this artistic diversity. Though he is a modern artist, he doesn’t absolutely ignore classic art, he doesn’t do any revolutions while creating, and at the same time he doesn’t subject to the past, nor imitates it. His thoughts are expressed freely and easily through his brush. Answers to the questions “why?”, “what?” and “how?” are obvious in his art. They are logical, persuasive and in a reasonable sequence. To perceive and interpret his nature one should try to indulge into this artist’s mysterious subconsciousness.

Artem Melik-Azaryants is among the apologists of the beautiful. He always seeks beauty everywhere. Being an aesthete in this case, by the way, doesn’t absolutely mean to estimate the external charm of things and to reach decorative effects. His paintings express the inner essence of the beautiful within reasonable limits; they are somewhat reserved and refined. Such world perception and considerate colouristic thinking create the artist’s world of creativity, where his thoughts fly.

There is one more feature, which is a success for Artem Melik-Azaryants. It is his kindness. In the 21st — century turmoil people constantly come across numerous challenges. But the artist, who always seeks, finds and creates the beautiful, looks at the reality and the surrounding world from the aspect of kindness. His works express neither alarm, nor an aggression. While seeing what is blameworthy, he doesn’t try to become rough, but always strives for remaining within the limits of his inner harmony. Even depicting animals (which may remind of human natures) Artem Melik-Azaryants doesn’t roughen the image; on the contrary, he tries to create a peaceful atmosphere.

Works of urban views show multifigure compositions. His paintings would never depict lonely human figures. He wouldn’t accept loneliness. At first sight male and female figures seem to be depicted at random; they seem like being means of keeping the balance of the composition. Actually those compositional means have a deep nature and have inner profound meaning. Architectural details have their own place in those urban views. Here Artem Melik-Azaryants works more skillfully. His brush easily shows the interplay of lines, volumes and spatiality. In one case building vaults with their light and shady details, in another case the two-sided buildings with their linear rhythm create a drive and make the image natural.

Artem Melik-Azaryants creates a concrete atmosphere which expresses the imaginary reality of his own life. Noteworthy are the artist’s feelings towards the history in general as well as towards the costumes and fashion of the previous centuries. He is also interested in technical equipage: carriages, cars, scales and so forth. So, he seems like traveling through various periods thus inviting the viewers to join him. The artist continues his journey through crowded people showing the dressings of different centuries, alongside with them he depicts air balloons; exactly air balloons and not airplanes.

Artem Melik-Azaryants is very bold in his ideas. Not the horses are harnessed to the carriages, but fish are, which in another case can have hoofs. Or they can serve as a bicycle, and in some other case interesting varietiescan be seen. Besides fish, which he repeatedly uses in his paintings, he also uses other symbols; tree, chair, key and so forth. Each of them is a separate key to understand the profoundness of these artworks. But Artem Melik-Azaryants has no intention of imposing his opinion on others. He invites the viewers into his creative world at the same time hinting about some details.

While observing the colours used by the artist strict expressionscan be noted.

In a series of paintings he uses some interplay of saturated colours, as well as heavy and bright colours, in another series he becomes somewhat laconic, again bold at the same time not depriving the colours of their brightness.

The function of shade and colour is a separate matter. Artem Melik-Azaryants treats it very masterfully and skillfully. In theseries which mainly depict eastern views, the artist reveals himself as a great master of technique. In this case noteworthy ishis mastery of technique and technology as well as hisconsistent patience while developing the subject with skillfullyused means. Exactly here we come across to the question “how?” and get the reasonable answer to it.

They say the artist can properly establish himself only in one style. As for the art of Artem Melik-Azaryants we cannotdefinitely agree to this opinion. For instance, he can create portraits in a completely other style. It doesn’t absolutely mean that he is unfaithful to his principles. This only shows the wide scope of his possibilities. In the genre of portraiture he wouldrestrain his imaginary world where his works are created, he is concentrated mainly on the model. Not only the latter “dictates”the process of working; but the artist is also free to create. In these realistic portraits images have not only the necessary identity of appearance, but they express deep psychological analysis which is very important here. The subject developments are done delicately; shades are used relevantly and correctly. While portraying a model, the artist chooses the position in his own way due to the peculiarities of the personality.

Still lifes by Artem Melik-Azaryants can be characterized by two types of groups. The first group expresses the artist’s classical attitude in general with merely realistic developments. As for the second group, his brushstrokes are more free and true, despite the fact that he remains within the scope of his pantheistic views. It should be noted that while depicting the material world, he also hints about the inner nature thus stressing up the external side.

Artem Melik-Azaryants was born and grown up in Tbilisi, Georgia. He got his professional education at Tbilisi State Academy of Arts. Doubtlessly, this city of diverse colours has had a great impact on the development of his interests and artistic taste. Certainly, thanks to the pedagogical work of his tutors Givi Agapishvili, Givi Toidze and Tariel Sujashvili Artem Melik-Azaryants has obtained great mastery which he skillfully uses in his creative activity.

Armen Gasparyan, Art critic, Head of the Department of Armenian Painting, National Gallery of Armenia

Artem Melik-Azariants is not in a hurry to get rid of principals and great opportunities of classical art. His still- lifes, sharpened solutions in plastic manners are not only academic hints, but already attempts to express his life acception with the help of that genre: rich colors, rather dark — Tbilisi school genre still-life’s with fish , flowers, apples, old Tbilisi, old books and steam engines are the objects he paints.

Series of works created in absolutely different manner, make us believe that here the artist constructs the art as a life narration, a story about his solved and unsolved problems. Not refusing the richness of traditional classical art, the artist is seeking for harmonious interrelations with different modern arts close to primitivism, surrealism and metaphysics. His primitivism is sometimes very alike to childish carelessness, naivety, tranquility from what the artist is being confused. That’s how he paints his favorite toy in his childhood” Steam engine with the camel”.

In his works Artem Melik-Azariants uses greatly the symbolic language.

He creates his imaginary world tree, fantastic tree of life, which needs light, air and space. We distinguish little figures, sometimes childish, sometimes death.

The artist Melik-Azariants feels the life with great passion and dynamics and that’s the power that pushes him to make real new ideas and new imaginary reflections.

Marina Stepanian, Art-critic

It is high time Armenians stopped decorating and enriching foreign art and culture with their creative work. The removal of artist Artem Melik-Azaryants from Tbilisi to Yerevan is very praiseworthy.

Hope, that henceforth the creative work of the talented artist will enrich only the fine arts heritage of his historical motherland-Armenia.

Yakov Zargaryan, Pianist

There is a new non traditional breath of thinking in Artem Melik-Azariants’ works.

Trees predominate in his works, but not just simple trees that we see in our everyday life: they can be seen in our imagination, saying more exactly, we can see that kind of trees in Paradise, as artist says himself.

The canvases are created by the inner impulse of roots always taking into consideration who he is and where he is from. He creates all the things referring humanity, life, nature and human relations.

The woman with all her enigmatic winningness as well as love are the inspiration source for the artist –Artem Melik-Azariants.

Ani Kochar, Journalist

“Danger” paintings series are dedicated to an inexplicable, mysterious female being. Who can conjure, charm and encourage as well as subvert and destroy. The woman and the shark are side by side, becoming one, where the author shows the hidden predatory qualities of feminine. Here, in the canvases are evident bright personalities and self-confident attitudes of the heroines. They are complicated and powerful that characterizes the woman of 21st century. On one hand, they are carefree, charming and peaceful, but they skillfully hide their inner world, which will always be behind closed doors.

“Colors” Painting Series Every woman strives for happiness but every life drama differs, depending on race, genetic standards and level of moral and psychological development. Colors” paintings are dedicated to female phenomenon itself, where the story begins in Kenya and ends in Moscow. The women are as different as the continents are. The only connection is being a woman, their life stories are different, but the author tries to describe the heroines as one, characterising them with unique colors and mood.