Photos, art & photography

by Tatev Mnatsakanyan, Armenia

My career as an artist & photographer, founder and curator of The First Armenian International Photo Festival, participant of about one hundred individual and group international exhibitions and festivals. Participant of Venice and Florence Biennales, first author of a unique photo project entitled Ambassadors' Dialogue, which includes a series of portraits of over 90 ambassadors, Human Art Dialogues photo project and more. Member of the jury of the photo exhibitions. Laureate local Armenian and International awards.

Tatev Mnatsakanyan is a searcher, an enthusiast, a sensitive artist, and among those rare people who get and give inspiration.

Melanya Badalyan, Armenia

Bravo, Tatev! Each one of your works can become an irreplaceable element, ornament and symbol of any working space, and your collection will enrich many of the world’s famous exhibition galleries. My congratulations!

Police Colonel Henrik Arabyan, Armenia

It is not a secret that people differ from each other not only by appearance but by the contents of their inner world. Tatev Mnatsakanyan’s art shrewdly captures this psychological complexity. This series of portraits is created in a simple, talented, laconic – and most importantly – kind and well-disposed way. We wish Tatev Mnatsakanyan many new ideas and productive work.

Artist Boris & Larisa Hakobyan, Armenia
Tatev Mnatsakanyan

Contact Tatev Mnatsakanyan

Some of my partners

Armenian Embassies in Denmark and Norway, Armenian Parliament, British Embassy in Armenia, Egyptian Embassy in Armenia, Experyment Festival in Poland, German Embassy in Armenia, Halle 6 in Germany, Jardin Cosmique in Switzerland, Klang Büro in Germany, Kulturreferat in Germany, KunstCentret Silkeborg in Denmark, Brusov-Universität für Sprachen und Sozialwissenschaften eröffnet, Embassy of the Czech Republic in Yerevan and EU Delegation, ՀՀ Արտաքին գործերի նախարարություն / Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, Goethe-Institut, and Konrad-Adenauer.

Yerevan, Armenia

Human Art Cultural Dialogues

Tatev Mnatsakanyan's photos

In Cultural Dialogues, I photographed elderly, forgotten artists, most of whom were walking towards the sunset of their lives. I sought to examine and reflect what concerns and worries they have and initiate a dialogue between people of different generations and different ways of thinking. I wanted to question the norm of forgetting an honoured artist who has contributed in their respective art field by creating new values and ideas, and appraise them only after their death.

The result of this photo project is a series of portraits that touches upon ethical issues of humanity. I wasn’t trying to hide any signs of age such as lines and wrinkles but instead focused on them, feeling what my models felt by trying to see the traces of their past lives. Sometimes I saw loneliness, longing, untold secrets and pain, forgotten dramas, fear, and even panic of uncertainty. Sometimes, when I talked with my models, their eyes suddenly filled with tears. In these moments, I restrained myself from taking photos in order to feel what is happening to them.

The core of this project is humanitarian; it is about love and compassion. By seeking to understand my models and their lives, I wanted to help them to regain themselves. This is a story of life, passing time and longing that maintains the uniqueness of the moment. The project took place in 20 countries including Egypt, Poland, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, British Armenian, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Japan, Iranian Armenian, Lithuania. One of the portraits in the Cultural Dialogues series, that represent the German artist Otto von Kotzebue, is currently among the most popular photos in National Geographic.

Syrian Armenian Photo Project

Art works, projects, events and exhibitions.

My photos of Syrians in Armenia is a part of the economic project GIZ EISRA that aims at integrating Syrian refugees in the Armenian society, Since the start of the civil war in Syria, Armenia has welcomed around 22.000 Syrians of primarily Armenian descent who brought with them entrepreneurial spirit and the drive to start a new life.

However, the situation keeps changing and hundreds of Syrian families have left Armenia, continuing their long journey to Europe, Canada, and the USA. Today the group of organisations supporting Syrian-Armenians is considering the possibilities of avoiding the loss of the educated and motivated Syrians who have helped to enrich the Armenian economy.

My photos depict some of the Syrian success stories. The Syrians work in various field in industry, design, handicraft and restaurant businesses, and my photos depict them at work. The photos were represented At Yerevan Expo promoting entrepreneurship, job orientation, networking and capacity building for Syrian Armenians in Yerevan on May 19–22, 2016.

Women for Peace

Tatev is a photographer and artist from Armenia specialised in portraits & cultural photography.

Historically, the world has been silent about the situation of women in war. Women remain in the background and are excluded from peace negotiations. With my photos, I wanted to remind people of the crucial role women play in contributing to the safety and well-being of their communities. One of my photos was awarded the gold medal for the best experimental photography at the 6th International Photo Biennale.

Contact Tatev for further information.