Contemporary photographers
In the period since the 1980s up to our days, Armenia faced a large number of challenges. Photographers managed to capture social and personal experiences and reflect them in photography.
Contemporary photographers
Hayk Avetisyan, having graduated from the Lyceum of Haykazian in Aleppo in 1941, became a pupil of the famous photo master Vardan Terunyan, whose followers were such recognized masters as Avetis Shahinyan, Nubar Sapaghyan, Nubar Shahinyan, Hakob Iskenian, Sargis Temirchyan, Karapet Arzumanyan.
In 1947, Avetisyan entered Grigor Gobaryan’s photo studio «Araks», who specialized in group and wedding photographs. In 1948, together with his brother, he opened a photo studio «Arsho», where he successfully worked with Arshavir and Andranik Papikyans.
In 1953, Avetisyan opened photo studio «Hayk», where in 1983 he organized a color photography center, which is works up to our days, thanks to the efforts of Tigran and Avo Avetisyans, who work with modern digital media.
Vardan Terzyan's photos (1961-1994, a French photographer of Armenian origin) depict scenes from life. He photographed his family members, relatives and friends. Series of photographs called «I buried my heroes», photos «Clown», «Dracula», «Zorro», «Ballet» are among his most famous works. He was also a stage director and producer.
Photographer German Avakyan was born in Georgia. During 1996-1998 he was the photo correspondent of the newspaper «Republic of Armenia». In 2000, Herman Avakyan was recognized the «Best Photographer of the Year» by the American-Armenian magazine «Hamaynapatker» (Los Angeles, USA). In 2005, he received the Yerevan Press Club Award for the series of photographs «Deadly Toys».
During the April war Areg Balayan was on the front line as a soldier of the Defense Army of Artsakh. In his spare time he took photographs and created a series of photographs called «MOB» (Military mobilization).
Karen Khachaturov is considered to be a masters of surrealism.
Hayk Melkonyan is a photographer, very popular in social networks. He mainly captures portraits and nature. In addition to being a photographer, he is also a mountain guide and tourism development specialist in the Tatev project.
Anna Manasaryan specializes in children photos.
Photographer Vigen Hakhverdyan is the creator and project manager of «PHOTO-ARMENIA». He works in the genres of landscape and portrait.
Photographer and philanthropist Antoine Agudzhyan was born in France. In 1985, he traveled to the USA and Brazil. In 1986, while working in a photo lab in the US, he discovered the art of photography for himself. In 1988, after the earthquake that shook Armenia, he entirely devoted himself to humanitarian assistance in Armenia until 1989. He invested his efforts in creating a summer center on the shores of Lake Sevan for disabled children and orphans. From 1993 to 1998, he made a series of reports about the social situation in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh and completed a serious photographic work on Istanbul. In 1999, there was an exhibition on Armenian topics (Paris) and his exhibition «Broken Dream» was demonstrated in large cities of France.
Max Arshak Sivaslian was born in France. For almost fifteen years, he has traveled the world with his camera in India, Australia, Southeast Asia, South America. In 1992, he went to Nagorno-Karabakh, spent two years at the front line.
Scout Tufankjian was born in the USA. She worked in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, Haiti, Brazil, Ethiopia. During the trip to Western Armenia, she shot unique photographs of cities and temples, from which only ruins remained. From 2006 to 2008, she worked as a photographer in the election campaign of Barack Obama. By the time she had shot more than 12 000 photos of Barack Obama, that later appeared in her book called «Yes We Can». After Obama was elected as the US president in 2008, her book became a bestseller. From 2009 to 2015, she worked on the book «There is Only the Earth», dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the genocide. She actively cooperates with Armenia and often goes there to take part in charity events.
Syrian photographer Hakob Vanesyan. Being a jeweler by profession, he started a photographer's career in 1999 with a documentary photograph. The Middle East and the life of his native Aleppo became the object of his interest. In 2016 in Moscow, in the Museum of the Orient, his exhibition named «Humanity, which was forgotten» was demonstrated. In the photographs he captured Aleppo, destroyed as a result of the war.
