Edgar Grigoryan

Artisan Organization: Edgar Grigoryan

Country: Armenia

"My name is Edgar Grigoryan, and I was born in 1977 in Yerevan, Armenia, a city whose deep artistic heritage has always inspired me. My journey in art began in earnest when I enrolled at P. Terlemezyan Yerevan State Art College in 1995. I spent six years immersed in the fundamentals and then decided to deepen my study of art at the Yerevan State Academy of Fine Arts in 2003. I graduated in 2009 with a Master of Fine Arts, and my dedication to my craft was recognized with the Ara Sarkisyan Award for the Best Master’s graduation project.

"Over the years, I’ve come to believe that art is more than just a way to represent ideas visually. It’s a profound dialogue between the artist and the world—a conversation about society, personal experiences, and even the discarded remnants of our daily lives. My art, as I see it, is deeply introspective, rooted in the idea that understanding the world begins with understanding oneself. As I create, I aim to delve into the spaces where humanity’s creations meet the imperfections of reality, often using found or waste materials to bring my sculptures to life.

"My first solo exhibition, Comedy Plus Minus, was held in Yerevan in 2009. It was a milestone that allowed me to showcase my early artistic voice. Since then, I have participated in numerous collective exhibitions, constantly growing, adapting, and exploring new methods of expression. In 2021, I held my second solo exhibition, *Dimension H*, which marked a shift in my focus toward even more introspective themes, followed by my third solo exhibition in 2022 titled *Let the Machine Defeat Us*. These exhibitions allowed me to reflect on the interaction between humanity and technology and our complex relationship with progress.

"My approach to art has evolved into something that might be best described as 'Junk Art' or 'Arte Povera.' I work with mixed techniques and often incorporate found objects and discarded materials. I believe these objects hold a unique energy, a hidden narrative waiting to be unveiled. Humanity’s endless cycle of creation and disposal has led to mountains of discarded materials, and I see it as my role to give these materials new purpose. This is my way of creating a dialogue between human life and the environment. Each piece, crafted from remnants of our everyday world, becomes a reminder of the beauty and potential that lie within what others may view as mere waste.

"Through my work, I don’t intend to solve any specific problem within the realm of art, but I do hope to provoke thought, to invite viewers to reconsider what they value, and to reflect on the interplay between life, waste, and creativity. For me, there’s something deeply moving about transforming ordinary materials into something evocative, and it brings me great joy when others find personal meaning in my work. In the end, my art is a way to contribute to a larger, ongoing conversation—one that encourages us to look inward, examine our impact, and, hopefully, inspire a new perspective on the possibilities around us.""