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Chant Avedissian
Born in 1951 in Cairo, Avedissian is the son of Armenian refugees who fled the incursions in 1915-16. He studied fine art in Montreal and printmaking and silkscreen at the École Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.

Fascinated by the numerous similarities and differences among cultures, Avedissian returned to Egypt, in 1980, where he began experimenting with photography and costume and textile design, in order to gain knowledge of local artistic practices. The transnational artist’s work and vision soon gained influence by the late Egyptian architect Hassan Fathi, who is known for his interest in rural community development, and the use of Egypt’s craft traditions. Working with Fathi for around ten years, Avedissian was fascinated with Fathi’s constant focus on Egyptian primitive art. This led him to search “for the essence of an Egyptian way of doing and seeing,” for which he used recycled materials.

The West does not fascinate Avedissian; instead he invites his audience to turn to the East to gain panoramic knowledge, unlimited inspirations and craftsmanship. After learning Chinese in Egypt, Avedissian traveled to China, Japan and Korea, in search for connections through architecture, calligraphy and others. His painting of ‘The Big Wall’ (1998) documents his visit to China’s Great Wall. His fascination by Asian culture is also evident in his choice of long panels of stenciled images, which can be rolled up and rearranged, as in Asian art.

Avedissian’s monotypes share themes that include revolutions, stars, divas and leaders and the anonymous people of the Egyptian socialist propaganda machine. These themes portray Egypt in the 1950s, a period that marked turbulent political and social change. His first stencil of the prominent Egyptian singer Um Kulthoum was the first of a series of 200 monotypes to come forth in 1991, the year that marked the outset of the Persian Gulf War. His series was a reaction to the signs he saw of potential devastation of Egypt’s heritage. Hence, this series was an attempt to recuperate and put on record Egyptian history that stretches from the Pharaohs to the reconstruction of the cultural and political identity during Gamal Abdel Nasser’s rule in 1952.

Avedissian’s work honors his host country, Egypt. Significant historical figures, objects and landscapes are intertwined in his motifs that are stenciled with local pigment, to form pieces of art that act as channels for his memories and experiences.

Solo Exhibitions
1970	                       Paintings, Komidas Hall, Alexandria, Egypt 1970/74/76/79	Paintings, Carzou, Cairo 1971                	Paintings, Tekeyan Cultural Association, Watertown, Mass. 1971/73	               Paintings, Tekeyan Cultural Association, Montreal 1978	                       Paintings, Atelier, Alexandria, Egypt 1979	                       Paintings, AGBU Center, Los Angeles Paintings, St. John's Cultural Hall, Southfield, Mich. 1980	                       Multimedia Exhibition, private house, Heliopolis, Egypt 1985                       Textile Hangings, private house, Cairo 1988	                       Wearable Art, Golden Hall, Manial Palace, Cairo 1990	                       Magie Matière, Arab World Institute (IMA), Paris 1991                 	New Works, private house, Cairo 1992                	Panels, The British Council, Cairo 1993                     	Idols of the Nile, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London 1994	                       Monoprints, 50 x 70 Gallery, Beirut 1995	                       Icons of the Nile, Leighton House Museum, London Kwangju Biennale, Kwangju, South Korea 1996	                       Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam

Group Shows
1969 	               Paintingso, Carzou Hall, Cairo 1971                	Armenian Painters, Tekeyan Armenian Cultural Center, Montreal 1972                  	Spring Art Show, AGBU Art Gallery, New York City 1976	                       Armenian Painters Alex Manougian Centre, Paris 1978	                       Boxes, Ecole Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs, Paris 1979/80	               Paintings, Armenian Artistic Club, Cairo 1982                  	Photographic-Exploration Voyages in the Royal Country Italian Cultural Center, Cairo 1984	                       Netherlands Institute, Cairo, Egypt 1993	                       Monoprints, Private Collection Gallery, Bahrain 1994                 	Images of Women, British Council, Cairo 1995                   	The Art of African Textiles: Technology, Tradition, and Lurex, Barbican Art Gallery, London Limières d'Egypte (Lights of Egypt), Arab World Institute (IMA), Paris 1996	                       The Right Way to Write, The Dalton Gallery, Atlanta, Ga.                                Afrikanske Tekstiler, Denmark 1998	                       In Morpheus Armen, Antwerp, Belgium 1999                  	Out of the Blue,Mashrabia Gallery, Cairo 2000	                       Copenhagen Contemporary Art Center, Denmark