Painters: Simon Donikjan
Born in the city of Constanta, Romania in 1949 of Armenian parents. He becomes a member at the local art club at the age of 7. Continued his art education at the high school of Music and Arts in Constanta. On his own, he starts to do copies after Rubens, Rembrandt, Vermeer and other classics. He also starts to do his own creations inclined toward semi-abstract surrealism. In 1968, he fails to enter the Institute of Fine Arts in Bucharest Enters the Institute of Cartographic Design in Bucharest for 2 years. After graduating, he immigrated to New York in 1971 with his family consisting of his parents and one older brother. It was a tough beginning as he was forced to make a hard living yet continue his artistic career on the side. In 1980, he returned to Romania but it was impossible to readjust and he eventually comes back to New York in 1982. In 1985 he chose Queens cityscapes as his major subject and by 1993 he reincorporates elements of surrealism found in his earlier works. It took him a few years to go back to the old style because he was much too cautious to have them in. He felt that by being more of a realistic he could at least ``win the popular vote". Going abstract might not get the attention of the important art critics. After some of his work gets reproduce in color in magazines and as postcards, he realized that he connected with the large public. By 1998 he introduces even more semiabstract and surrealist elements than before, since he feels more confident about public reaction. Shows: * solo shows / † representation one year 1968 Bucharest, Romania 1969 Constanta, Romania* 1971 Beirut, Lebanon 1975 Lynn Kottler Galleries, New York, USA 1976-80 St Moritz Hotel, New York, (Armenian Students Association) 1988 Cultural Environ, Queens, New York, USA 1989 La Guardia College Gallery, Queens, New York, USA Helio Galleries, NYC, USA Morin Miller Gallery, NYC, USA † 1990 Clapp & Tutle Gallery, Woodbery, New Haven, CT, USA † Lincoln Saving Bank, NYC, USA * 1991 York Square Cinema Gallery, New Haven, CT, USA Old State House, Hartford, CT, USA Triplex Gallery (Manhattan Community College) BBDO Gallery, NYC, USA * 1992 Monserrat Gallery, NYC, USA Manhattan Graphic Center, NYC, USA Abney Gallery, NYC, USA † World Wide Gallery NYC, USA St James Armenian Church, Los Angeles, USA Erevan, City Gallery, Armenia * 1994 Puck Building Gallery, NYC, USA St. Thomas Armenian Church, New Jersey, USA * 1995-2000 Puck Building Gallery, NYC (yearly group shows) Periodicals / Critic statements / Internet / Books /Artist statements 1968 ``S. Donikian - New Talent" by G. Papagheorghe, Dobrogea Noua newspaper (in Romanian) Romania 1975 ``Trio at Kottler " Park East newspaper, New York 1989 ``Special Image of America" by Joseph Markel in Artspeak bimonthly magazine ``What has happened aesthetically with Donikian is a shift in attention from understanding the general ambience of his urban life scene to becoming more specific. Obviously this is no Hopperesque approach, not even philosophically. It's a new game with new rules, new moods, new emphases." 1989 ``S. Donikian's New America" by Palmer Paroner, Artspeak magazine 1989 ``The Enduring Vision of S.Donikian" by Ed McCormack in Artspeak magazine 1990 ``Donikian Widens His Scope" by E. C. Lipton in Artspeak 1990 Entry in ``The Encyclopedia of Living Artists" in America (fifth edition) Editor Constance Franklin 1990 ``Donikian the Painter of Queens" by Alfred Lubrano of Daily News ``It is this crowded quality of people going about their business that is the main difference between Donikian and another New York City landscape artist to whom he has been compared, Edward Hopper." 1991 ``The Rare Gift of S.Donikian" by Diana Roberts of Manhattan Arts ``Donikian's ability to be figurative without sacrificing art, to be traditional and original at the same time, and to show us what we look at but do not see for ourselves sets him apart as an artist of great sensitivity" 1990 ``S. Donikian an Artist with Great Faith" by J. Zambacian, former director of Zambacian Museum, Bucharest, Romania 1990 ``Local Talent Exercises `Freedom of Choice'" by William Zimmer, New York Times