Medieval art through a new lens: Margarita Hovsepyan’s miniature exhibition held at YSU

YSU History Museum named after Professor Ludwig Gharibjanyan hosted the "Margarita Hovsepyan: Medieval Art Reimagined" exhibition. The event brought together artists, students, lecturers, and art lovers. The artist behind the exhibited works has had a creative journey closely tied to YSU. She spent over three decades at the university, significantly contributing to the development of its educational and cultural environment.

The decision to host Margarita Hovsepyan’s exhibition at YSU was motivated by the fact that the university was where ancient books became a source of inspiration for her and where her artistic path began.

Tatevik Saroyan, Director of YSU History Museum named after Professor Ludwig Gharibjanyan, expressed her pleasure at the event, emphasizing that even today, we have miniaturists who continue the legacy of great masters like Toros Roslin and Sargis Pitsak with dignity.

"I believe that in the years to come, the names of today’s artists will also be remembered—as bearers of values passed down through generations. In her own way, Margarita Hovsepyan is contributing to that history," she noted.

According to the miniaturist herself, during the war in 2020, when pain, anxiety, and fear became an inseparable part of daily life, art became her main form of emotional expression. She began replicating and painting miniatures, using colors and images to convey her feelings.

Icons, altar illustrations, bird-shaped letters, title pages, marginal decorations, and scenes inspired by medieval miniature art—all of these the artist created using paper, watercolor, acrylic, and tempera.

"I would not have been able to do any of this without the presence of two exceptional individuals in my life. Lilit Vardumyan, my instructor at the Matenadaran’s 'Art of Illumination' miniature painting studio, taught me the techniques and secrets of miniature art and encouraged me to create original works. Meanwhile, Anna Margaryan, founder of the Armenian Miniature Studio, introduced me to various skills and techniques of painting on different materials," the artist shared.

Margarita Hovsepyan often gifts her paintings to friends and loved ones. She says that while working, she imagines the person the artwork is meant for, using this process as a way to transmit her positive energy to others.

"While making replicas, I always tried to stay true to the original works, capturing every detail as faithfully as possible. Some of the pieces in this exhibition are my own line drawings, where I chose the color palette myself. I began with copies and later moved on to creating original works. I once thought I wouldn’t be able to do it—but eventually, I did," she said.

Now continuing her artistic path at the State Academy of Fine Arts of Armenia, Margarita Hovsepyan remains committed to the same principles that have shaped her artistic identity.