Life in Aleppo and First Visits to Armenia

Shagé Ter-Arutyunyan was born in the Middle East in an artistic family, which determined both his professional path and his choice of rich colors and textures that represent his unique style.
“I was born in Aleppo, grew up in a creative atmosphere: my father was a designer, my mother a poetess. Since childhood, I dreamed of coming to Armenia and studying here,” says Shagé.

That dream came true when, during his ninth-grade holidays, he traveled to Armenia and no longer wanted to continue his studies in Syria: “I first came in 1982 and fell in love with Armenian culture. That was the main reason why I left school in Aleppo. Even before coming, I already knew Armenia well, but the trip gave me the chance to see it with my own eyes. My visit to Armenia was made possible thanks to artist Armine Kalents, who came to Aleppo with an exhibition. After our meeting, she advised me to apply to the P. Terlemezian State College of Fine Arts.”

A New Life in Beirut

After graduating from the college’s decoration department, Shagé entered what is now the Academy of Fine Arts, where he began to study pottery. Life conditions in Armenia were difficult at that time: the country was recovering from war and in economic crisis. As a young artist, he needed freedom and an environment to realize his creative ideas. Shagé returned to Aleppo, continued his father’s work, and then moved to Beirut, where there were far more opportunities for artistic expression. Already in Beirut, after experimenting with different creative ideas, Shagé finally turned to ceramics, collaborated with Armenian institutions in the city, and one day began to create pieces with Armenian ornaments. Through this process, his unique style was born. 



Repatriation to Armenia

“During those years, my thoughts were always in Armenia; I constantly thought about moving. Many times, I traveled to Armenia by land, reaching the Lebanon-Syria border, calling my parents and saying I was going to Armenia. I saw all those trips through Turkey as an opportunity to explore my historic homeland: that’s how I saw hundreds of our historic monuments and took thousands of photos that later inspired my creative process. For example, I visited the Ishkhan Cathedral in the heart of the Tayk region, took one ornament from there, and I often use it in my works today,” continues Shagé.



Shagé’s dream to move and live in his homeland came true in 2015. The “reason” for this was Kristina from Vedi—Shagé’s wife—who could not reconcile with the thought of living abroad. That’s when they decided to move to Armenia. 
 

The Work of the “Brutshen” Studio

Unlike many repatriates, Shagé did not face difficulties related to differences in mentality between Armenia, Lebanon, and Syria: integration was smooth, and his great love for Armenia became a strong foundation for his new life. His wife Kristina was a reliable companion in this: she learned pottery from her husband, and today they create new ceramic works together in the Brutshen studio, established on the grounds of their home. 
 

“The only difficulty was finding the materials we had used in Lebanon that were not available here. At first, we traveled to Artashat, collected clay there, and mixed it with other materials to get clay suitable for our work. Over time, it became easier, and the work found its flow.”

Today, “Brutshen” receives many orders, and sometimes guests, who never leave empty-handed. According to Shagé, Russians—who deeply appreciate ceramics—as well as locals and Europeans, have a special love for his works.

“My style is a story! A long story! It was not created in a single day: each new piece gave birth to a new idea, which, combined with old ideas, turned into something new and unique.”

Shagé hopes that someday the number of orders will decrease, giving him time and opportunity to realize new creative ideas based on Armenian ornaments he collected during his travels.
 

By Nare Bejanyan