Collection: Hrair Diarberkirian

Hrair Diarbekirian, known professionally by his first name only, was born in Beirut in 1946. As a child, he would visit his neighbor and schoolteacher, a French artist called Rimbaud, and admire his Impressionist paintings. He started painting landscapes and portraits before joining the Académie Libanaise des Beaux-Arts (ALBA) in 1959 to study interior architecture while also taking painting classes with Henri Fortier. In 1963 his work was exhibited at the Sursock Museum’s annual Salon d’Automne, where artist and critic Helen Khal wisely identified him as a promising young talent. Indeed, by 1965, 18-year-old Hrair had already won two major prizes, the first for his tapestry design for Beirut’s presidential palace, and the next for his work in the 1965 Salon D’Automne. He moved to Europe with the eruption of the Lebanese civil war, and would live and exhibit in many cities, including Paris and Athens, where he gained popularity with an international audience.