Armenian-Egyptian Artist Rita Kevorkian Truly A Rising Talent

“I believe that art is a magical weapon, an effective one that is able to battle plenty of dilemmas. It is the soft power of all time,” she said. Some of the young artist’s paintings address violence against women.

In addition, many of her paintings attest to her passionate attachment to her origins. A vivid example is her desire to depict Armenian musicians, such as Aram Khachaturian, Charles Aznavour, Komitas and Makar Yekmalyan. “I tend more towards Komitas, taking into consideration that he discovered, collected and registered Armenian folk music,” she adds.

Speaking about artists, her role model is Michelangelo, who was “so good at painting icons on the walls of the church and his works remained among the best artworks for years.” Her Armenian shining examples are the remarkable Martiros Saryan and Armenian-Egyptian cartoonist and caricaturist Alexander Saroukhan.

Rita said she is very influenced by Saroukhan (1898-1977), one of the most distinguished caricaturists in the Arab world. His works were published in Arabic and international newspapers and magazines. “How I wish I had met him, so I would have been able to express how much I admire his intelligence, thoughts, the beauty of his artworks, and his foresight with regard to political events,” exclaims Rita, adding that “His family were always generous in providing me with the information that helped me know him closely.”

She is keen on participating in Ramadaniat, an annual exhibition that takes place to celebrate the holy month of Ramadan. In this respect, it is worth noting that she magnificently portrayed Ramadan’s ambiance as well as influential figures of Egypt, such as the Muslim scholar and jurist Muhammad Metwalli Al-Shaarawi and the musician Sayed Mekawy. “I feel delighted to be one of the artists who capture the beauty of the Egyptian heritage,” comments Rita.

Her works of art adorn many of the celebrations of the Armenian community in Egypt. Last year for example, Rita took part with ten acrylic paintings in celebrating the 90th anniversary of the founding of Saint Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church in Cairo. Her artworks included representations of the church itself, the Holy Family’s journey to Egypt, and important figures of the Armenian Church. The young artist also magnificently revived old iconography. “I was very happy with the trust the church and the Armenian community put in me, as they allowed me to play a role in this great event.”