Annie Kurkjian

Biography

Born 1972 in Beirut, Annie Kurkdjian is mixed media artist of Armenian heritage. She holds a BA in Fine Arts and Psychology at the Lebanese University, followed by Theology at St. Joseph’s University. Her paintings have been presented in solo and group exhibitions in London, Beirut, Paris, Lyon, Dubai, and Munich, alongside winning “Johayna Baddoura Prize” in 2012.

At first glance, Kurkdjian’s paintings appear sober, yet they convey a powerful message, displaying stylised beings contorted into tortured and unsettling postures. Sometimes these grotesque figures fixate on the beholder, with a numb eye and vaulted shoulders, as if harassed or lost. The monstrous subjects of these works are intended to be dissected and analysed, producing poignant images with a confrontational and potent impact on their observer. Breathing tragedy, these monumental canvases interrogate life, and compel the viewer to contemplate the process of creation.