Singing Embroideries

Our national music and song is exceptional and unprecedented, and had psychological and deep implications, considered part of our national pride.

Where do we come from? Who are we? And, where are we going?

Those are the questions whose answers we'll find in the unique embroideries by Armine Hayrapetyan. Woven together in song, dance and oratory, they exhibit a beautiful and colorful harmony gifted by God. Hayrapetyan's collection demonstrates a rich soul destined to confirm the Christian truths, i.e. the victory of kindness and beauty. Her work convinces you that the human mind knows no boundaries, and human beings can create everything. Thus, when those creations are woven for eternity, they become one part of the wonder of nature.

One of her works, "Khachkar," was created in memory of Karen Demirchyan. Demirchyan had his particular place and role in our nation's destiny.

Thus, like him, each khachkar has no duplicate. In In fact, that the human mind can suggest different variants of the same geometrical image is amazing. In the center of the cross you see the shining sun with its counsel of eternal faith, hope, and light.

Great majesty, unique taste and waves of color seem to come from heaven to reside in Van, or maybe the author herself has become a Khachkar or has sung:

I wish to be an abby in Van.
And light a candle with a hanging head
And pray for you on a kneel
And be a Khachkar in my dreamy Van.

The thread, needle, linen, speech, music, and sounds unite to the point that you can't understand which is the most important. For the creative person, the material is unimportant; she has something to say. God is too kind towards her. He gifted her with the ability to sing, to write poems and songs, to draw, to sew embroideries, but isn't it all of this too much for one person to attempt?

Although Armine Hayrapetyan succeeded in expressing herself in all spheres, we know her best as the queen of embroidery. Even if many of us do not believe in God and are not familiar with the themes of her canvases, in some way, the cross still remains in every Armenian's soul, mind, heart, and blood.

The equivalent of this work is another creative piece which is easy to comprehend but at the same time difficult to understand and assures us that we really are Christians. Looking at the cross, we become convinced that we can't lie, for lies and contamination can't be forgiven.

Notice the "Crossflower" in the design. The clarity of its dance, its flexibility and charm, in groups or alone, in the center, bears witness to the great poet's words, "Our salvation is in our unity," thus it would be great if, after viewing this work, we came to that conclusion. Yellow, green, and orange unite together and begin an insane and embracing dance.

In "Khachazard" the cross is in the circle, bordered by an elegant ribbon. Sing and dance, have fun and be glorified because the Armenian woman is divine.

In "Qele Lao", Armine Hayrapetyan's masterpiece, the musical embroidery is unique for combining Armenian and Artzakhi symbols. She bids the audience to "Come lao, come to our country." And, "Stay there, where you can earn your own living," unshakeable values.

"Every person finds something in his country which makes him feel like a real person. Have you seen Armine's smile, which is coming from her soul, her nature. If you haven't seen it, you can feel it through her world of flowers.

In "Bunch of Flowers" each flower has a unique color; they smile and prompt Sevak's words, "We do not love again, we love once again." The whole work looks appears an abundanr place. Through it we guess that Armine is a mathematician. There are many embroiderers in our country, but among them Armine stands alone.

"Ereruk" is unique in itself, because it is similar to P. Sevak's works. Once again prose is transformed into music to live through Armine Hayrapetyan's embroidery. Most of us know this literary work.

In the names of three
You are always there and I am always there,
I always tear your name
But you never tear mine.

How many people would be able to explain what is at work in this delicate and poem? A group of natural-looking flowers can soften the troubles in a person's soul and lead us to the world of dreams.

"The Tree of Life" is a light in paradise giving eternity to honest people. It unites Christians and their wisdom, symbolizing the eternity of a loving couple, family and generation. This work can be considered as the base of her decorative art. Just as we discover the age of the tree according to its trunk, this work symbolizes the idea of continual re-generation showing the mother tree giving birth to thousands of leaves.

Number 13 is a scriptural symbol e.g. Israel's patriarch with his 12 sons, Jesus with his 12 preachers, etc. and leaves demontsrate this through diagrams.

In "Crane" the main character is a homesick emigrant, a reflection on Komitas. His music acquaints foreigners with Armenian music, mindset, and culture.

Another Armenian symbol is lavash, or flat bread. The5 delicate flowers in the middle of this work symbolize the inhabited continents. Small lavashes follow each other and form a big one. A garland of flowers finishes part of the work and symbolizes poor people, living only on bread.

It's a fact that we have embroidery schools in Aintap, Marash, Urhai, Van, Svaz, Qilisy and in other places, which are similar in their Armenian style but very different in sense of taste, depth of thought, and unique sensibilities. Having a thorough knowledge about the achievements of the following schools and the history of Armenian colorful cottons, Armine, keeping Armenian soul and essence of embroidery, "sings" with her individual voice, that is to say with her colors, decorative designs, and taste. Her works include beautiful and delicate games of color, a pleasant expression of images, and a fusion of emotion and logic. All the works are the results of love, endless sleepless nights, that is, taking 1.5-2 years to complete per work.

"Music helps a lot in my art," confesses Armine, "Each canvas is a whole symphony," She compares music and embroidery as embroidery is a music of threads.

In "Beautiful flower" Margarid Chakhoyan's words play a great role.

Beautiful flower, you were a newborn blossom,
When I saw you under the brightness of the sun.

Flowers, leaves are parts of nature, which witness all Armine's works. Music and songs help her works speak.

"The Armenian Woman" by A. Qrashu and S. Dgrbashyan is compared with "the Armenian Woman" canvas. Only Armine's tender and mysterious fingers, her delicate essence and light and bright looks could create this work. Her songs become embroideries; the flight of her mind has no boundaries.

Maralo, I wish to die for the freshness of my mountains,
Maralo, I wish to die for the height of my lover,
Maralo, Armenian maralo, maralo
Maralo, the girl of mountains, daralo.

A girl is observed The chill of the mountains plays with the trees. The pomegranate tree has always been a symbol in Armenian creative work. The main means of expressing thoughts and feelings often is a tree.

Under the apple tree I loved my love.
Under the apple tree, under the apple tree.

H. Sahyan's and A. Heqimyan's works become the base of something new.

I didn't know why,
You didn't know how,
We met each other, but
our dreams are
without us.

As a result on the canvas heroes become two peacocks.

"Elegy" is based on Silva Kaputikyan's song about Heqimyan.

You are on the edge of the cliff
Like a whimsical poppy
I would like to look at you from the bottom
And be in need of you.

The other eternal piece is an equivalent of a work created in goosan Ashot's hearth.

I am waiting for you for a long time,
You are in my soul and on my lips,
From the day of our meeting you fascinated me,
And filled my life with the fire of love.

A peacock waits for something, and hope and light seem to appear, it whispers, "I am sick from waiting";

"Nairyan Girls" brings to mind Charentz: "I like the graceful dance of Nairyan Girls."

In "Autumn" Teryan's tender autumn's reflection is combined with Tumanyan's theory.

Autumn came to the yellow fields
And again painted the forest.

And again you become astonished. It seems that after those huge themes it's impossible to talk about autumn. Its new explanation fascinates.

Among Armenian symbols an egg is unique. Armine succeeded in creating different kinds of things from the same shape, e.g. cross, dove, trees, everything in the shape of the egg.

Birds are representative in Armine's works. These perfect creatures create a world of motion. God is perfect; man is created like him.

In "Wonderful Birds" as in all other works, geometrical lines and images dominate. In "Doves of Piece" the leading colors are blue and sky blue. There are 24 doves, 12 of them are pink ,the other 12 are sky blue, symbolizing 2 hemispheres, day and night, light and darkness. Pink and blue doves fly to 4 sides of the world to spread peace, kindness and love.

Armine said, "I do not agree with the thought that creative art is like a baby. It's an exaggeration, because for me the birth of a person is something different, it's incompatible. There is only one comparison: a new creation of a creative piece is like a cry of childbirth. It is born from art".

In "Van" we realize that for every Armenian, Van is a dream of pain and hope, but for Van's people it's torture. There is no wonder that the leading colors in this canvas are light and dark green. The truth will win and the doors of happiness will open.

If you want to be happy
Take this key of life
And open the doors of happiness
And spread it to the whole world
There is a need to fill the life
With kindness, love and mercy.
Or this planet will be cracked
Leaving people in the evil darkness.

M. Metzarentz said in his"Our Lord." "Give me God boundless happiness." Maybe Armine created this work in order to hang it on the Armenians' doors in Van. The leading representatives of this work are again male and female birds, which are homesick. Each work is a piece of creation but "Labyrinth," "Butterfly" and "The Owner" are pledges of analytical mind.

"Butterfly" which has number "86400" has as many parts as has a day-old butterfly. Armine writes,

O, human being,
Have you ever counted the happy minutes
That you have lived in your life?
If you've lived so many minutes
You've lived one day, a life of a butterfly.

This embroidery is as eternal as the butterfly itself. Mathematical calculations combine with philosophical thoughts. The author's reflections about "The Owner,"

Look at this warm attentively
He is the owner of posthumous life
Think thoroughly
Is it worthy in this life
To build a palace and earn money
Leaving people hungry and lost
And become a meal for the owner warm?

She has spent endless nights giving these canvases shape and meaning. The main key of Armine's works' success is love. The results of this are the works of birth certificates done for children from Gyumri. No one thinks about sewing a birth certificate with the first letters of children's names on it. Such kinds of works are also small souvenirs. As a result Armine decided to sew the whole Armenian alphabet. Some of her works are devoted to the memory of October27, 1999 victims. Each family of victims has a memorial plaque with the first letter of their husbands' name on it.

Rock images are also popular among Armine's creative works. Armine understands the combination of nationalism and humanism. She thoroughly studied national art, especially the miraculous world of miniature painting of the Middle Ages. Although she has created hundreds of large and small works, outlines, and sketches, the most important thing is not their size and quantity, but that each one speaks and sings with the lips of its author.

The observer can whisper "Bravo, creator."

Armine Hayrapetyan weaves her world, which is also Ours.