Regal, languorous shapes of a female’s body, the freshness of landscapes, wise, laconic portrayals of Biblical themes, the strength of abstract paintings - all these encompass the diversity of creative manifestations in the paintings of Robert Ovakimyan. They are all unified by the magic of sun light, sometimes warmly wrapping the tender bends of a woman’s body, sometimes playing with the gleam of dawn on the alps, sometimes appearing like a radiant lace through the crowns of trees and shimmering on sonorous rifts of water. The sacred blessings of the sunny world, so differing and so similar to all the people, makes the canvases of Robert Ovakimyan always recognizable and so magnetic to the viewer.
     Robert Ovakimyan was born in 1966 in Kapan, Armenia and in early childhood he devoted himself to painting and drawing. Since 1986 he has lived and worked in St. Petersburg.
     A real turning point in the artistic career of Robert Ovakimyan came from his lessons and discussions with Solomon Gershov, one of the prominent representatives of Russia’s avant-guard, a student of Marc Chagall.
     In the creative work of Robert Ovakimyan one can trace the development of the avant-guard ideas which are combined with the shrillness of feelings and purity of a colour so typical to the art schools of Armenia. The influence of St. Petersburg tradition has also affected his painting, the laconic refine ment of the latter helps to achieve the perfection of composition and the precision of a stroke. These are the fundamental elements of the artistic style of Robert Ovakimyan which have merged harmoniously into his canvases.
     Since 1993 Robert Ovakimyan has cooperated with the Institute of Material and Artistic Culture and in 2002 he became a me mber of the International Federation of Artists (IFA). Between 1989 and 2005 over 15 personal exhibitions of Robert Ovakimyan’s paintings were held in St. Petersburg and abroad, including in the International Federation of Artists’ Gallery in St. Petersburg, the Storm Gallery and the Viktor Gallery in Finland and in the Russian Museum of Ethnography in St. Petersburg. He has also taken part in more than 80 exhibitions elsewhere in Russia and overseas.
     "Creative work for me is a constant search of the truth and inexhaustible admiration for the immense beauty of nature", says the artist. "I try to instil into my paintings spiritual beauty, so that they convey to the viewers joy and light. I put my soul into any painting I create."
     One can see the paintings of Robert Ovakimyan in the permanent exposition at the Museum of Conte mporary Art of Armenia, at the Paradzhanov Museum and in the collection of the church community of the city of Nukarlebi in Finland, as well is in many art galleries of St. Petersburg, including the DiDi Gallery, Masters’ Guild Gallery, Matisse Club and Onegin Gallery. The works of the artist are also included in private collections in Russia, USA, Norway, France, Denmark, Holland, Sweden, Switzerland, Germany, Finland and Austria.
     Right now the paintings from the biblical circle of Robert Ovakimyan are represented at the exhibition "The Tree of Traditions" in the Main Exhibition Hall oeManegeB (at 1 St. Isaac’s Square).

     For more information you can contact the artist, tel.: +7 911 701 56 04
     Beside the article are represented some of the latest works of Robert Ovakimyan.