Armen VAR Vardapetyan
Yerevan, Armenia
Since childhood I’ve taken great interest in applied arts. When at high school, I attended and completed special courses on sculpture of small forms. I am fond of planing, moulding, forging and curving different wares. I use various materials in my works: metal, clay, wood, glass, animal bones, bread-crumb, etc.
In 2008, I seriously decided to try myself in applied arts, jeweler‘s art in particular. I had spent much time at libraries, museums, workshops of famous Armenian jewelers; studied various styles and professional skills, history and culture of jeweler’s art. Interesting is that my university education helped me deeply understand the secrets of my new profession in relatively short terms. I want to believe that all this enabled me to develop my individual approach to and concept of creating jewels. In my works, I try to use non-traditional for jeweler’s art materials: exotic breeds of wood, clam-shells, raw crystals, rubber, leather, copper, titanium, etc. I’m sure that jewelry should only be hand-made. Otherwise, they’ll lack soul. That’s why all stages of making a jewel proceed manually. The machine can’t substitute the hands of the jeweller. No machine-made item has the energy and warmth the fingers of the master transfer to the wares. Sometimes, tiny defects of manual work are visible on the jewelry, and this makes the item unique and fills it with vital energy.
In 2010 I was awarded the honorary title of a National Expert in Silverworks by the Republic of Armenia Ministry of Culture.
Materials: Silver, garnets, saphires, enamel. Dimensions: 4.5x4.5 cm
This brooch created by Armenian folk artist
VAR-Armen Vardapetyan under inspiration of Armenian ancient manuscripts.
