This spring, Singapore’s Intersections Art Gallery is exhibiting a solo show by Armenian artist Sharis Garabedian. The exhibition of drawings and photography, titled “Meditative Imprint,” explores how Garabedian’s ancestral homeland influences her work. ARTINFO spoke to Garabedian about her process, her heritage, and the surprising history of Armenians in Singapore.What made you want to show your work in Singapore?I met some gallerists a few years back in Paris, and after they saw my photographs, I received a proposal to exhibit with Intersections in Singapore. I took this occasion to come to Singapore for the first time and discovered the history of the Armenian community of Singapore.To give just three examples, the first church built in Singapore was the Armenian Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator in 1836—which still stands today. The Raffles Hotel was built by four enterprising Armenian brothers. And let’s not forget the Singapore Orchid: an Armenian woman, Ashkhen Hovakimian, first bred the orchid, which became Singapore’s national flower.I pay homage to Ashkhen in this exhibition by dedicating a drawing to her. I usually do not have a theme in my head before drawing, but this time I decided I wanted to draw an orchid.Then, reflecting upon this Singaporean-Armenian community, so far away from its homeland, made me think of all the Armenian communities across the world — where those who survived the genocide by the Turks in 1915 were able to prosper and to contribute to the progress of their adopted countries. My drawing “Omnipresent and in Motion” is my interpretation of this concept.How else does your Armenian heritage feed into your art?I am a diasporan Armenian. At times I feel that because of this fact, having grown up far from my native country, the longing to belong has made me more sensitive towards Armenia’s rich history and culture.For example, as a young child I saw my father working on 9th-century Armenian illuminated manuscripts. I realized later the use of gold and silver leaf in my drawings is reminiscent of these ancient illuminated manuscripts. Such as the ornate circular and geometric drawing surrounded with a gold background behind the figure of the queen in “Sayat Nova de Paradjanov” — with touches of gold leaf adding a relief. My instinctive expression is influenced to a great extent by my ethnicity.This exhibition features a number of Armenian obsidian stones. What drew you to this medium?Obsidian, the native stone of Armenia, has been a source of inspiration for me since discovering it in 1989 during my first visit to the country. I immediately fell in love with its texture, color, and different forms. I go to the mountains to collect them, and each form I find dictates to me what direction my drawings on them will take.Also, as a volcanic stone, obsidian is derived from its relationship to fire, water, air, and earth. Legend states, “It was formed from fire, washed by rain, and thrown into the air from hell to earth.” All these elements are interrelated and revealed in nature and in my work.You often work in photography. What relationship do you see between your photography and your drawings?In the case of the one photo I have in the exhibition, there is a strong relationship. The image is of a mountain with linear and circular forms, which were so precise that they reminded me of my drawings, also inspiring me to render the essence of the image in the photo by drawing it, creating “Garni Dzor.” This unpolished, untouched mountain situated in the Garni region of Armenia was, as with all the subjects of my photographs, not planned. I am not interested in creating staged situations in order to provide subjects for my photos, but in capturing compositions, textures, colors that already exist in their natural form.Take us through the creation of a favorite work.Although I have no preferences, I will share with you a few representative stories.When I started drawing “Nakhichevan before the destruction of Khatchkars,” I did not know at the time where that would lead me. Then I saw how the beautiful cultural site of Palmyra had been destroyed in Syria, reminding me of my feeling on witnessing the destruction of more than 3,000 ancient Armenian Khatchkars [crosses intricately carved into tufa stone, typical of Armenian art from the 9th century onward] in the cemetery of Djoulfa in Nakhichevan.There were 10,000 of them at the beginning of the 20th century, all of which were intentionally destroyed, a planned operation of destruction by the Azerbaijani government from 1998 to 2005, filmed and photographed from the Iranian border. The destruction, which UNESCO was not permitted to intervene in, was once again a plan to erase all traces of the historic presence of Armenians in Nakhichevan.Being deeply affected by this and by all violent acts from anyone to try to erase the extant culture of any race, I began drawing and was unable to stop drawing my interpretation of that event. A drawing of this kind usually takes me a month to finish; this one took one week.On a different note — my “Garden of Eden,” a series of five drawings representing nature in all its glory. According to several ancient maps, scriptures, theological records, and writers such as Lord Byron and Joseph Duncan, Mount Ararat in historical Armenia was the Garden of Eden, the terrestrial paradise. After descending from Ararat, Noah planted the first grape seed. My drawing “Forgotten Paradise,” representing different forms of vegetation, is a reference to this mountain.“Meditative Imprint” runs through May 15 at Intersections Art Gallery in Singapore.
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