Vardananq 2000

Grigor Khanjyan made this painting called Vardananq, and it looks like a swirling scene of figures, shields, and spears clashing. I imagine him, brush in hand, layering these figures on top of each other. It’s like watching a battle unfold, not just on the canvas, but in the very act of painting itself. The colors are rich and deep. I think about how those colors might feel, the weight of them, the stories they tell. There’s a real depth to the surface, a kind of history embedded in each stroke. The physicality of the paint, it must have been very satisfying to move around. Think about the way Khanjyan painted the faces. Each gesture communicates so much feeling. It really does make you wonder what Khanjyan was thinking, what he was feeling. It's like he's not just painting a historical scene, he is wrestling with the questions of conflict and courage. He’s in conversation with all the painters who’ve tried to capture the chaos and emotion of human experience.