LIFE AND WORK
Hovhannes
(Vanik)
Sharambeyan
17 August 1926, Yerevan – 11 May 1986, Yerevan
Artist, cultural figure, devoted guardian of folk art
Hovhannes (Vanik) Sharambeyan
ARTIST · CULTURAL FIGURE · COLLECTOR
A Life Transformed into a Mission
Hovhannes (Vanik) Sharambeyan was born on August 17, 1926, in Yerevan. His life brought together painting, the cultural life of Dilijan, and the preservation of Armenian folk art.
He was, first and foremost, an artist, yet he devoted much of his life to bringing people and master craftsmen together and to creating a community around cultural memory
TIMELINE
Biography
1941-1945
Studied in the Painting Department of the Geghard Technical School in Yerevan
1945-1951
Studied at the Yerevan Institute of Fine Arts and Theatre
1946-1948
Worked as chief artist at the H. Hakobyan Folk Theatre in Dilijan
1947
Founded an art studio at the Gh. Aghayan Library in Dilijan and directed it for 25 years.
During those years, he settled in Dilijan due to health problems
1953
Participated for the first time in a Republican Art Exhibition, presenting the works Komitas (1946) and Carnations (1953)
1954
Participated in the Dilijan City Exhibition dedicated to the October celebrations
1954
Participated in an exhibition-competition dedicated to Maxim Gorky in the city of Gorky
1956
Admitted to the Union of Artists of the Armenian SSR. In the same year, he was elected Chairman of the Artistic Council for Decorative and Applied Arts of the Art Fund of the Armenian SSR
1956
Participated in the Decade of Armenian Culture in Moscow
1956
Participated in the Youth Exhibition in Tbilisi
1957
Participated in the Republican Festival in Yerevan
1958
Participated in the Republican Exhibition in Yerevan
1958
Participated in the Republican Exhibition dedicated to the 40th anniversary of the All-Union Leninist Young Communist League (Komsomol)
1958
Took an active part in establishing the art department of the Dilijan Museum of Local Lore and contributed to the enrichment of its fine arts collection
1959
Participated in the Exhibition of Transcaucasian Artists in Baku
1960
Hovhannes Sharambeyan’s first solo exhibition, Dilijan
1960
Appointed Chief Artist of Dilijan
1960
Participated in exhibitions in Bulgaria, Poland, and Iran
1961
Organized an exhibition of Armenian artists dedicated to the 40th anniversary of Armenia’s first health resort
1966
Solo exhibitions in Dilijan, Ijevan, and Shamshadin
1966
Designed the stage production for The Heart Calls at the Dilijan Theatre
1966-1967
Solo exhibitions in Dilijan, Shamshadin, Ijevan, and Echmiadzin
1966-1967
Head of the Department of Culture at Dilijan University
1967
Elected a member of the Board of the Artists’ Union of Armenia
1967
Elected a member of the Board of the Artists’ Union of Armenia
1969-1973
Served as Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Artists’ Union of Armenia
1970
Sharambeyan transformed the Dilijan art studio into an art school
1970
Admitted to the Union of Artists of the Armenian SSR. In the same year, he was elected Chairman of the Artistic Council for Decorative and Applied Arts of the Art Fund of the Armenian SSR
1970-1986
Pursued active exhibition work in Armenia and abroad, including Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Belgium, and Luxembourg
1973
Elected Chairman of the Applied Arts Section of the House of Folk Art of Armenia and awarded the honorary badge “For Contribution to the Cause of Friendship”
1973
Premiere of the television film-opera “Anօush”. Production designer: H. Sharambeyan; director: M. Varzhapetyan
1975
Participated in the Days of Soviet Culture in Bologna
1977
On Hovhannes Sharambeyan’s initiative, the Wood Art Gallery in Yerevan was established. A significant part of its exhibits was donated by the artist from his personal collection
1978
Founded and headed the Museum of Folk Art of Armenia
1978
As part of the Days of Soviet Culture in Portugal, organized exhibitions of works by folk artists in Setúbal, Porto, Lisbon and other cities
1979
Under his direction, the Museum of Folk Art in Dilijan was founded
1980
Awarded the Order of Honor “For Contribution to Friendship”
1983
Premiere of the television film-opera “Anօush”. Production designer: H. Sharambeyan; director: M. Varzhapetyan
1983
Premiere of the television film-opera “Anօush”. Production designer: H. Sharambeyan; director: M. Varzhapetyan
1984
By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the ASSR, he was granted the honorary title of Honored Art Worker of the Armenian SSR
1989
The Dilijan Art School and a street in Dilijan were named after Hovhannes Sharambeyan
DILIJAN · SECOND BIRTHPLACE
A City That Lived in His
Heart
For Sharambeyan, Dilijan was more than a place of recovery. It became the setting for his landscapes and sketches, his educational initiatives, and his long-standing cultural work
Collect,
Preserve,
Pass On
PRESERVATION OF FOLK ART
Sharambeyan regarded the art of the people as a living language of cultural memory. He collected historic artefacts, brought together practicing master craftsmen, helped revive vanishing crafts, and created new platforms for presenting them.
The Dilijan Museum of Folk Art and the State Museum of Folk Art in Yerevan became among the most visible results of this long-term work
