244 rue Rioux
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by Michael Armstrong
Galerie d'Art Hovig, simply put, is an art appreciators' gem. Tucked away in Griffintown – a short walk from Metro Bonaventure, Galerie d'Art Hovig lies within earshot of Montreal's bustling downtown and is comfortably positioned between Cite du Havre to the east, and the "Farine Five Roses" sign, the picturesque fixture of Ile de Montreal's southernmost horizon. Galerie d'Art Hovig Hovig is more than a gallery or multipurpose studio space. My visit came closer to a reflective, philosophical experience. Hovig Papazian makes use of his skill by using art in a way that's twofold. It serves as both his language of choice to communicate his vision of the world, as well as the deliberative process of arriving at that point, all in one. Stepping into his studio was like walking into the mind of a man who thought a lot about the world; of life, the multitude of people it and the interconnecting links of our common experiences that bind us all within it. Admittedly, a rather grand conclusion to reach but one that quickly becomes evident simply in looking at the brightly adorned walls that surround you.
Upon entering the gallery, I was immediately greeted by a deeply curious, soft spoken, though highly engaging man in his 50s. Warmly introducing himself just mere moments after I had entered, Mr. Papazian personally presented his collection to me, painting by painting shuffling from one end of the gallery to the other, taking the time to speak about each of his colorful canvases individually. Just as a proud father would introduce his children, one by one, to an unacquainted guest of the home, it was in next to no time at all that I was able to quickly grasp each of his paintings' unique qualities. What made each of his works shine as stand alone pieces independent of one another, in addition to the cohesive nature of his collection, when visually taken in as a whole.
His consummate, nearly 14-year affair with oil-based paints may have begun in Montreal, but Mr. Papazian's story begins elsewhere. Born to an Armenian family in Lebanon, he attended the Guvder Art Academy, focusing his talents on fashion and interior design. There he began as an apprentice, soon thereafter showcasing his own couture work in galleries and embassies in Lebanon before completing his formal education. Traveling to Europe in 1968, Mr. Papazian served as a freelance fashion designer in England and France for five years, where in 1973 fate drew him to Montreal. Though initially arriving to visit his brother and a friend, he met his wife, raised a son and built a life in Canada.
It was a chance encounter in 1997, when a friend took Mr. Papazian to the studio of a Montreal based artist. When they entered the studio the artist was painting a portrait. During the visit the three of them spoke for a long time and in depth about the art. After a while, the artist looked and Mr. Papazian and said: "You're talking a lot about art, of this and that. There's a wall, go paint." So he did. When Mr. Papazian was finished, the artist declared that there it would stay, as would an open invitation to return and paint again. So he did, everyday for over two and a half years. That meeting served as a baptism of sorts for Mr. Papazian's conversion from an admirer of art, to becoming an artist himself; his mentor soon becoming his biggest supporter and most ardent patron.
While working in the Montreal fashion industry designing clothes, Mr. Papazian transformed his studio in the Old Port into an Art Gallery displaying contemporary art. In 2006 he moved to his current location, previously the site of a chocolate factory, and he renamed it Galerie d'Art Hovig. Mr. Papazian devotes himself fully to painting and writing poetry, amassing an impressive collection of work that's not only accessible but also registers at a core level.
Upon entering the gallery, you're immediately confronted by a diverse body of work both in theme and subject. The majority of the paintings are bold 24" x 24" canvases, though there are two striking 18" x 36" canvases in the front of Mr. Papazian's well-lit studio space. There is a sense of continuity in his work, despite it being obvious that his art was produced during different periods of time. The collection showcases Mr. Papazian's accessible though subtly changing painting style, as well as a range of subjects that inspired him.
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| Installation view, Galerie d'Art Hovig |
While he states that his style of painting is in a continual state of evolution, seeing all the paintings together provides the viewer with a perspective that makes his painting style both familiar and, identifiable. By seeing his collection in its entirety, one can see subdued but noticeable shifts in style and content. What doesn't change is his use of art as a contemplative tool, a process akin to therapy.
Describing how we, as people, react and feel to events and situations, Mr. Papazian noted that our feelings exist in bundles - never clear, never concise. As a painter, he uses this opportunity to break down and consider how he feels about a given subject. Taking the time to understand whatever emotions are elicited. "It's not enough to know you hate or love something, I paint to understand why I feel, which can be more important than the physical thing you're left with when you're done." With every layer of paint that he applies, there is a release and a sense of letting go. This very emotional process transforms previously unidentified passions, emotions and feelings, into liberating displays of art, often resulting in the production of two to three paintings at a time. The completed works serve as markers, of Mr. Papazian's life.
Mr. Papazian is clearly focusing on using his art to express a range of emotions and feelings that speak of a shared human condition - a clear reflection on the universality of life's experiences. A great many paintings convey a connection to innocence represented by children and their shared bond with their mother. He finds this bond to be "the foundation, which if absent, eliminates the possibility of anything else" making maternity and the family representative of eternity. On the left and right hand sides of the gallery's entrance are vivid examples of his homage to mother and child. The different paintings showing different social contexts, which clearly shows Mr. Papazian's philosophical perspective of how humanity is inherently equal.
In one painting, called Unconditional we're presented with a mother and child enveloped in a sea of blue. Figures that Mr. Papazian later told me were inspired by a trip he made to South America. The mother's hair is covered and she is dressed simply. Crisscrossing blue lines blue outline her shape. She sits beside an empty basket, embraced by her son who is also leaning on her for support. He is dressed in blue clothing that is faded and wraps his hand around her in such a way that seems to bind them together, making them look like one. The faces are extremely detailed. There is darker shading that Mr. Papazian explained he uses to evoke the dull pain of burden. Very little else adorns the painting, no flair or pomp. This is in stark contrast to another painting of mother and child.
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| Unconditional, 25" x 38" Oil on Canvas |
The second painting called Harmony contains a sense of lightheartedness that's absent from Unconditional, though because it is muted the painting does give off it's own air of worry. The figures appear in front of a bright green background. They are comfortably seated on orange-brown colored floor. The textured print of the woman's dress is comprised of vivid shades of green, yellow and red, half-haphazardly concealing the buxom curves of her body. Her child is dressed in a faded pastel red, his hands and legs intertwining with hers almost indistinguishably. Strands of her hair are formed by the downward trickle of thinned paint from her head that at first glance seems to be a creative way of depicting her locks but appearances can be deceiving.
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| Harmony, 24" x 24" Oil on Canvas |
The dripping paint flows down half of her face like tears, adding a sense of worry to her otherwise unblemished complexion; a clear reverse from the shades of worry worn on by the mother in Unconditional. While Harmony is considerably less filled with angst than Unconditional, they both showcase mothers with their children amidst an underlying aura of worry. I asked Mr. Papazian about the differences he sought to project in both of these works. He responded, "there is no difference in the bond that a child has with its mother. If a child dies anywhere in Africa, China, Canada or elsewhere, the sound of a mother's cries will always be the same. We are all human beings and we feel the same pain no matter where we are from." While these are just two of his paintings that focus on the family, they are representative of the broader message of unity the experience of being human presents that Mr. Papazian is trying to express.
Mr. Papazian's artistic inspiration and the themes his works speak to, transcend the arbitrary construction of differences society so often assigns to aspects of our lives that exist beyond our control, like citizenship, nationality or race. That which we do have command over, are those connections we share with one another as members of the same human family; as neighbors and stewards of the same earth. A prime example of this is in a work titled Thanksgiving. Though visually, it wasn't my favorite of his works, the message it has still resonates with me. Here a typical thanksgiving scene depicts three people carrying overloaded baskets. In the background, there are figures standing in front of bamboo curtains. The bamboo dominates the canvas and appears to be a barrier between the two groups of people. But the second ground looking like "huddled masses" are very close behind the first groups with the baskets. It seems as if they are getting closer despite the bamboo bars that are separating them. On the left of the painting is the bird of peace, who has broken through the wall of bamboo, ultimately providing the viewer with Mr. Papazian's answer to the dilemma presented by the theme. It is the story of Thanksgiving but also one of false boundaries and citizenship, displayed with a sharp sense of irony.
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| Thanksgiving, 24" x 24" Oil on Canvas |
This also isn't the only painting where Mr. Papazian is ironic. A beautiful 18" x 36" painting called The Bride honors his Armenian heritage, in a retelling of a folk tale where women from mountain villages have husbands chosen for them by matchmakers. Then come down from their hamlets to meet their future husbands (trust me, it's a much better story in Armenian). There are two figures descending from the summit to their weddings, each flanked by wonderfully unique trees on the left and right of them. Of the two, only one is dressed in white and in her arms she bears a child. The figure to her left is much more dull and faded, and awkwardly struggles to remain fully covered, clutching a shawl to shield herself from view until her wedding day. Contrast this with the bride on the right, who almost seems to shine divinely holding her baby tenderly as a gift of life, she is flanked by a brightly leafed tree which is an obvious tribute to her fertility, and she is radiant despite society's expectations of her chastity. It's a beautiful painting on its own, but context is key to unlocking Mr. Papazian's clever sense of humor.
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| The Bride, 18" x 24" Oil on Canvas |
Another 18" x 36" painting is titled War End Peace, the one Mr. Papazian proudly declared his favorite. Admitting at the same time that it also took him the most time to create. War End Peace is a powerful statement on the effect of war and violence in a community. Here Mr. Papazian has painted an array of human shapes, those that are living in shades or red or orange, those who have passed in a bright neon green. The words "War," "End" and "Peace" surround the figures, connected by a red line that touches or surrounds nearly all of them. Mr. Papazian's play on words is the obvious charm in this work, begging the viewer to ask whether "War Ends Peace," or does "Peace Ends War?" The individuals who are alive, exist in somber, sorrowful states seeming to clutch onto one another. A mother holding onto her child, some children grasping their dolls. However what I felt to be most striking was the sense of freedom and dynamism in the green figures, representing the souls of those who had passed. Some exist in careless mid-flight outside the realm of "War End Peace," while others stay near to those that were still living, their arms jutting out in an almost celebratory mid-dance stance.
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| War End Peace, 18" x 24" Oil on Canvas |
These are just some of his works, though I feel they accurately represent the consistent level of depth that is present in his collection as a whole. From his approach to the art and the perspectives he presents, to his expressive style and the sincerity with which he paints, Mr. Papazian's work at Galerie d'Art Hovig is more than memorable. It is a moving display that showcases testaments to the human experience. His paintings have a way of celebrating the immense diversity of the world by reminding us of the overwhelming commonality of our collective experiences. While you may waltz into this gallery intending to just look at art, you may end up spending much of your time thinking. But by all means, feel free to do so. With Mr. Papazian there, know you won't be the only one.
