Haroutune (Harout) Armenian is a visual artist interested in the transformative potential of watercolor. His work includes landscapes and seascapes captured during his travels to over 40 countries as well as a collection of abstract work.
Born in Beirut, Lebanon, Armenian began watercolor painting in earnest in 1976, during a time when the country was embroiled in an increasingly fierce civil war. Faced daily with the sound of bombs and rocket fire and an eyewitness to violent unrest, Armenian sought respite through his painting. While working at the American University of Beirut, he frequently painted the campus’ vibrant gardens and views overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, a prologue to his disciplined self-study of watercolor painting that would continue for decades to come.
Armenian carries a box of watercolors and brushes wherever he goes, creating scenes that are at once idyllic, spontaneous and endlessly experimental. While watercolor is considered an unwieldy medium that is difficult to master, Armenian’s controlled hand and novel use of color retain a refreshing simplicity and sincerity, from a lone wind-whipped pine tree to the grand architecture of Florence, Italy.
Critic Peter Frank has said of his work, “Armenian embraces luxe, calme et volupté no less intensely than Henri Matisse in his inter-war years. Similarly, his light touch and aqueous palette conjure the work of Raoul Dufy.”
Armenian has presented solo exhibitions at the University of California, Los Angeles; Hamazkayin Gallery in Borj Hammoud, Lebanon; Noah’s Ark Galleries in Beirut, Lebanon; the Albert and Tove Boyadjian Gallery in Yerevan, Armenia; Akian Gallery of the American University of Armenia in Yerevan; and most recently at Roslin Art Gallery, Glendale, Los Angeles.
His work has also been exhibited in a number of international art fairs and group exhibitions, including Artexpo New York (2013); Art Monaco (2013, 2014); and the Life100 exhibit at the Brand Library and Art Center, Glendale, California (2015).
His work has been featured in multiple publications, including Colors and Words: From Armenia and Beyond (2002), Past Does Not Yet Melt Here (2007), and Life with Watercolors (2014).
Armenian has been a distinguished physician and professor for the past 40 years, including professorships at Johns Hopkins University and UCLA. He is President Emeritus of the American University of Armenia, where he served for 14 years.
Armenian lives and works in the Los Angeles area.