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PDFDrawing - Sculpture - Painting - Collage
Hagop G. Khoubesserian
(Born in July 1931 in Alexandria, Egypt. Passed-away in Nov. 2019 in Toronto, Canada)
At an early age, Hagop showed an aptitude for artistic learning and was encouraged by his Art teacher to develop his promising talent. In 1955, he passed the entry exam of the School of Fine Arts in Rome, Italy, and graduated in 1960 with honours. He immigrated to Canada in 1961.
Since then, Hagop Khoubesserian has exhibited successfully in Canada and abroad, and has received numerous prizes and awards: First Prize of Drawing of the Institute des Arts Appliques in Montreal, Purchase Award of the Society of Canadian Artists, Collage design selected for UNICEF greeting card chosen also by the former Prime Minister of Canada, Pierre Elliot Trudeau, Winner of the Prix de Paris Raymond Duncan in Drawing, Canada Council for the Arts Travel Grant to exhibit in France, Rubens Prize, with medal, Festival de St-Germain des Pres et d'Art Graphique, in Paris.
He has exhibited his work at a number of solo and group exhibitions in Canada, United States and France: Canadian Society of Graphic Art (Willistead Art Gallery of Windsor), Canadian Society of Graphic Art (National Art Gallery of Canada, Ottawa), Society of Canadian Artists (Toronto), Victoria College - University of Toronto - Public Archives (Ottawa), Ligoa Duncan Gallery (New York), Juried Exhibitions at the Salon des Artistes Francais and Salon d'Automne at the Grand Palais (Paris), Galerie Bernheim Jeune (Paris), and in private galleries.
Primarily recognized for his unique pen and ink drawings, Khoubesserian has also extensively worked in sculpture, print-media and painting. His imagery consistently involves subjects of reclining figures, often represented without facial features, embracing couples and faceless horsemen, all confidently executed in the various media. His accurate perspective enables him to approach depth; yet a range of density of the line, shade and highlights used in his drawings, contribute to overall sculptural and three-dimensional feeling of his oeuvre.
He feels he learned as much from the great artists of the Renaissance and Baroque periods as he does from 21st century art trends. He mentions Francesco Borromini's architecture which he finds full of lively movements.
His work has been collected among others, by Douglas Duncan, the art dealer of the Picture Loan Society, the renowned photographer Yousuf Karsh, Station Gallery in Whitby, Volkswagen, Honeywell, Toyota, Anca Laboratories, Atom Egoyan - film Director and Producer, and actress Arsine Khanjian and numerous other private collectors.
Drawing in the permanent collection of the Legacy of Absence Gallery at the new Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Skokie (2009).
Film 'The Horsemen' by Gloria Montero and David Fulton (CBC).