“Gojabashian: Blessed Hands of the Armenian Heritage” An Art Exhibition of the Works of Yervant Gojabashian

FRESNO — An art exhibition, “Gojabashian: Blessed Hands of the Armenian Heritage,” will be held in the Leon S. Peters Ellipse Gallery (second-floor) of the University Library, 5200 N. Barton Ave., at Fresno State, from Monday, April 10 until Sunday, April 30.

An opening reception with the artist, Yervant Gojabashian, will be held from 6:00PM until 7:00PM on Thursday, April 13, 2023, in the second-floor gallery of the University Library on the Fresno State campus. The reception and the exhibition are free of charge and the public is welcome.

The exhibition is sponsored by the Thomas A. Kooyumjian Family Foundation and the Armenian Studies Program at Fresno State. The exhibition organizers are Lucy Erysian, Mike Bashian, Hazel Antaramian, and Prof. Barlow Der Mugrdechian and the exhibition curators are Steve Ruppel and Chris Lopez.

Artist Yervant Gojabashian is one of Armenia’s most prominent sculptors and painters. He is internationally recognized and his exhibits have appeared in major cities throughout the world.

Yervant Gojabashian was born in 1939, Aleppo Syria and at an early age moved to Soviet Armenia with his family. In 1966, he graduated from the Yerevan Art and Theatre Institute.

Sculpture is more than Yervant Gojabashian’s profession, it is his calling. He prefers to work with black tufa, the “national” stone of Armenia, though he is just as expert in handling marble, basalt, and wood.

Gojabashian’s bas-reliefs decorate the entrance to St. Etchmiadzin Cathedral, the façade of Hotel Ani, and the building of the Yerevan House of Cinematography. His reliefs are distinguished for their complex ornamental composition, their variety of national motifs, figures, and plants. He is also an expert in life-size sculptures, most of which are displayed in different museums.

In 1981, Gojabashian moved to the United States and established residence in Montebello, California. He has been featured in several large exhibitions, including in Boston, Detroit, and Los Angeles. His works, including marble and tufa figures, have been exhibited at Harvard University’s Sanders Theatre Gallery, the Pasadena Armenian Center, and at the Downey Museum of Art.

“Among the prominent artists of Armenia, Yervant Gojabashian should be singled out,” said art critic Poghos Haitaian.

The late art historian Henrik Igitian said, “Armenia is a land of stone, and it is not unnatural that it would produce a generation which is influenced by modern-day life, and would give new form to these stones. In the hands of Yervant Gojabashian the stone is revitalized.”

The reception is free and open to the public. Parking is available in Fresno State Lot P30 or P31, near the University Library. A parking pass is required for the Thursday night reception. Contact the Armenian Studies Program for a free parking code.

For information about upcoming Armenian Studies Program presentations, please follow us on our Facebook page, @ArmenianStudiesFresnoState or at the Program website, https://fresnostate.edu/armenianstudies.