Martiros Manoukian

Martiros Manoukian (born August 5th, 1947) is an influential contemporary mixed-media artist known for his unique genre of paintings categorized as Marmillism (Martiros Millennial-ism). He is widely regarded as one of the most original and successful contemporary artists in the world. Collectors and critics have often compared his artworks to Picasso, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro and other masters. Martiros is highly regarded in the international art space as breaking through the limitations imposed by the artistic world. By painting on fabrics with combinations of watercolors, acrylics, oil and mixed metals, he is respected as a genius of fantasy with elements of Realism and Impressionism, creating artworks depicting portraits, abstract motifs and wondrous landscapes mostly influenced by nature and women. Manoukian has exhibited throughout the world including Paris, Switzerland, Russia, Japan, Hong Kong and in the United States.

Childhood

Born in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, Martiros’ extraordinary abilities as an artist became evident in early childhood. At age 11, the young painter was included in an art exhibition in Moscow for aspiring high school painters, for which he won first prize. From then on, Martiros continued to create masterpieces, until age 16 when he exhibited a full collection of his pieces at the Avant-Garde Youth Expo. His piece “Girl Of My Dreams,” was awarded first place and brought him critical acclaim from his mentor Martiros Saryan. Know as one of the most prestigious and important artists in the history of Armenia, Sarayan, born in 1880, proclaimed his young protégé Manoukian would have a prosperous artistic life ahead of him. Sarayan confirmed the talent of the young man by naming him, the “teenage Martiros.”At age 19, after the untimely death of his father who died of a heart attack, Martiros vowed to become a popular artist in order to support his family.

Academy Years

In 1967, Martiros was admitted to the State Academy of Fine Arts of Armenia. At the time, Armenia was a satellite of the former Soviet Union. Martiros spent six years at the Academy, and was known for skipping classes, disregarding strict artistic and academic guidelines, and constantly battling with instructors and what he regarded as a strict curriculum. His rebel years at the Academy were tumultuous, but they provided him with the classical training necessary for him acquiring the necessary skills to achieve his mastery of painting he would use later on to create world-renowned masterpieces.

Military Period

Martiros did everything in his power to avoid mandatory military service until his graduation from the Academy in 1972. But he was forced to enlist in 1973. He served two years, painting for the regime and showing his pieces at various military art exhibitions. Martiros describes his military service as being one of the most difficult period in his life, being punished for his anti-communist and anti-Russian beliefs. He would later use these difficult memories to inspire some of his paintings. The modern Republic of Armenia became independent in 1991 during the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

The Russian Period

Martiros’ first public art showing happened in 1972 in Yerevan, at the Artists’ Association of the USSR exhibition. As a non-Communist citizen who was openly against the Communist regime, life was not made easy for the painter. He was granted membership to the very selective and influential Union of Soviet Artists at a very young age, which allowed him to work and earn a little money to begin saving for his dreams of escaping to America. From 1974 to 1986, Martiros participated in several exhibitions under the patronage of the Artists’ Union. These shows took place in Yerevan and Moscow between 1974-1986, in Kostroma 1977, Suzdal 1979, Ivanovo 1984, as well as Kiev in 1980 and Leningrad (now known as St. Petersburg) in 1983. During these years, Martiros enjoyed national acclaim for his work, winning the first prize at the “Thirty Years After World War II” exposition for his piece entitled “No Return.” In 1982, the government of Armenia purchased one of his paintings which still hangs in the Consulate Hall of the main government building in the capital.

American Period

Finally, in 1987, his dream to emigrate to the U.S. was realized. This marked the beginning of a metamorphosis and an artistic rebirth. His move to the U.S. proved fruitful, as the artist began selling works in Laguna Beach, and then in Las Vegas, Miami, and finally in New York. In 1997, Martiros opened Art Brilliant Gallery on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, California. After tremendous success in the U.S., Martiros embarked on a journey to Japan, signing a contract with Toyota for a collection of pieces to be commissioned over a five-year period. Martiros lived in Japan for over 14 years. During this time, Prestige Magazine of Hong Kong in its April 2011 edition called Martiros “An Artist of the World.” The magazine noted, “Owners of Martiros’ work are found from the Americas to Asia, and the artist considers himself a global citizen.” In 2011 Martiros’ artwork was distributed throughout the region as part of his Asia Tour. Presented by the Damina Gallery in Hong Kong, the tour was sponsored by the International Herald Tribune, the Global Edition of the New York Times.

Style

Over the years, Martiros Manoukian honed his skills in classical painting. He began developing his own unique style of artistic expression at a young age, and further pursued this particular genre of mixed-media painting until he no longer fit any category. His mastery of combining watercolor with oil paint, acrylic, as well as gold and platinum led to the birth of Marmillism: Martiros-Millennial-Ism. Marmillism, coined by the artist himself, as his artworks, which combine Realism, Painterliness, Impressionism and his own blend of mixed-media photo-realism, possess detail and dimension that cannot be attributed to anyone else. On average, a Martiros painting can take up to two years to finalize, as he works on multiple pieces at the same time, overlapping and sometimes abandoning paintings until later dates.

Martiros produces five categories of art: unique original works, original series, original variations, serigraphs with artist retouching and serigraphs.

In the book, “Martiros Manoukian” published in 1998, Martiros claimed, “The Great Masters have been my teachers … I would like to have Girodet’s light, Ingre’s line, Picasso’s courage and Chagall’s colors.”

Critical Reviews

According to a profile of Martiros in the Feb. 10, 2000 edition of Fine Art Magazine, Martiros’ paintings are “sought after by collectors and prized not only for their surface panache but for their resonating internal power.” The Millennium edition of Fine Art Magazine describes Martiros as “one of an elite few living artists whose 1500 originals have sold worldwide,” as well as “the most successful and saleable living artist in Japan.”

An original painting by Martiros was discussed in 2014 on the syndicated TV program, Pawn Stars. On the show, ASA certified art expert Brett Maly explained: “Just about everything in his artwork pops. It’s all about jumping off the wall in terms of color, in terms of layer and depth. It’s all about the presentation and really creating works that are eye-catching … He has a timeless style … He’s got more staying-power potential than a lot of contemporary artists.

The April, 2011 edition of Prestige Magazine in Hong Kong noted the artist was: “Acknowledged as A Genius of Fantasy, Armenian-born artist Martiros’ subjects range from portraits and devotional pictures to more abstract motifs.”