BIOGRAPHY

                                                                      &nbs…

                                                                                                      INTRODUCTION

Jean Kazandjian was born in Beirut, Lebanon, where he lived until his early twenties. He was influenced by a wide array of Mediterranean cultures. Of Armenian heritage, he was also exposed to French and English as a second and third language. His family had fled Turkey in 1915 at the onset of the Armenian genocide; after spending many years in Ethiopia, they settled in Lebanon in 1933. Beirut was a culturally rich and sophisticated city and was often referred to as the "Paris of the Middle East" prior to the civil war, which began in 1975. Jean is the third of five children.

Born 1938. Lives and works in Los Angeles and Paris

2017                        Solo exhibition at the Embassy of Armenia in Washington DC.

2015                       Solo exhibition at Galerie AV, Paris.

2014                       Solo exhibition at the National Gallery of Armenia, Yerevan.

                               Solo exhibition at Galerie AV, Paris.

2013                       Solo exhibition at Galerie AV, Paris.

2012                       Solo exhibition at Galerie AV, Paris.

                               Solo exhibition at the Armenian Consulate, Los Angeles, CA.

2011                        Solo exhibition at Swenson Fine Art, Laguna Beach, California.

2010                       Solo exhibition at Galerie Anais, Santa Monica, California.

2009                      Solo exhibition at Galerie D’Orsay, Boston.

                               Book presentation and exhibition at the Armenian Museum, Watertown, Massasuchets.

                               Solo exhibition at A.G.B.U., Pasadena, California.

2008                      First trip to Armenia.

                               Solo exhibition at Madison Gallery, La Jolla.

2007                      Solo exhibition at Art L.A., Los Angeles.

2006                      Group exhibitions at the Lawrence Gallery in Portland, Oregon, Premier Collection Fine Arts in Chicago and Madison, Gallery in La Jolla.

2005                      Trip to Tahiti.

2003                      Trip to Mexico.  He discovered Chichen Itza.  Group exhibitions at the Cantessa Gallery in Cleveland, and at the Galerie Jeanne in Munich. 

2002                      Solo exhibition at the Christine Argillet Gallery in Los Angeles.  Group exhibition at A.G.B.U Los Angeles.

2001                      Solo exhibitions at the French Consulate in Los Angeles, and at the Christine Argillet Gallery in Los Angeles. 

2000                     Jean Kazandjian and his family settled in Los Angeles.  Solo exhibitions at the Palm Springs Art Fair, and at the Christine Argillet Gallery in Los Angeles. 

1999                      Solo exhibition at the Galerie Jeanne in Munich.  Publication of the catalog entitled “Neue Werke 1997/1998.”  Exhibited one hundred works at A.G.B.U Los Angeles.  Group exhibition at the Galerie Weider, in Le Raincy, France.

1998                      Solo exhibition at the Galerie Furstenberg in Paris.  Group exhibition at the Galerie Jeanne in Munich.  Solo exhibition at the Art Fair in Budapest.

1997                      Solo exhibitions at the Galerie Mansart in Paris, and at the Galerie J.T. Neumann in Munich.  Group exhibitions at the Galerie Furstenberg in Paris, and at the Mariner’s Ball in Paris.

1996                      Solo exhibitions at the Château de Champs sur Marne, under the auspices of the French Ministry of Culture, and at the Galerie J.T. Neumann in Munich.  Participated in the   exhibition entitled “Art n Co” in Briquebec, France.  Group exhibition at the Salon Art Jonction in Cannes.  Solo exhibition at the Art Fair in Budapest.

1995                      Solo exhibition at the Galerie Jeanne in Munich.  Publication of the catalog entitled “Werke 1993/1995.”  Group exhibition at the Galerie Liehrmann in Liège, Belgium. 

1994                      Trip to Nepal.  Solo exhibition at the Galerie Art Form in Zweibrücken, Germany.

1993                      Kazandjian learned about the death of the Californian painter Diebenkorn, whom he wanted to meet.  Exhibition with the jeweler Jean Vendôme at the Galerie Liehrmann in Liège, Belgium.  Solo exhibition at the Galerie Jeanne in Munich. 

1992                     Solo exhibition at the Galerie Art-Mouvement in Paris-Bastille.

1991                    First tridimensional paintings with painted screens. (Venus de Milo.)   Solo exhibition at the Galerie Jeanne in Munich.  Group exhibitions “Couleurs de la vie” at the Cultural   Center in Madrid and at the Fine Arts Palace in Prague.

1990                  Death of his mother.  This period was one of renewal and simplification in his work.  First paintings using “Sequences.”  Publication of the catalog entitled “Présence-Absence.” Group exhibition at the Galerie Furstenberg in Paris.  Group exhibition entitled “Couleurs de la vie” at the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris.

1989                  Solo exhibitions at the Galerie Jeanne in Munich, and at the Galerie Art Form in Zweibrücken, Germany.

1988                  Group exhibitions at the Galerie Jeanne in Munich, and at the

U.G.A.B. Gallery in New-Jersey.  Solo exhibition at the Galerie Jeanne in Munich. 

1987                  After five years of research, Jean Kazandjian exhibited in Los angeles and discovered Diebenkorn, whom he called “The painter of space.”  Group exhibition at the Design Center in Los Angeles, and at the Jeune Peinture in Paris.

1986                  Solo exhibition at the Galerie Jeanne in Munich. 

1985                 Solo exhibitions at the Gulbenkian Foundation in London, where he showed paintings and gouache works, and at the New York Art Fair.  Group exhibition at the Salon du Trait in Paris.

1984                 Solo exhibitions at the Musée de l’Athénée in Geneva, at the Galerie Theato in Basel, and at the Galerie Jeanne in Munich.  Birth of his second son, Viken.

1983                 Solo exhibition at the Galerie Furstenberg in Paris.  Group exhibition at the Salon du Trait in Paris.

1982                 He traveled to New York for the first time to meet with his mother.  Amid the collections of the Modern Art Museum in NewYork, he discovered the painter Willem de Kooning, another artistic expression that would influence him during the following years.  This prompted him to completely change his work; he destroyed his compositions on paper and his paintings, considering them gloomy and outdated.  Solo exhibitions at the Galerie UNIP in Lausanne, followed by the Galerie L'Estampille in Brussels, where he showed drawings and watercolors.  Birth of his first son, Alban.

1981                  Solo and retrospective exhibition of 120 works at the Galerie Campo in Antwerp.  Publication of the catalog entitled “Période de 1970 à 1981.”  Solo exhibition at the Galerie Furstenberg in Paris.  He married Christine Argillet, the daughter of the publisher Pierre Argillet.

1980                 Solo exhibition at the Galerie Ago in Berlin.

1979                  He worked on the “Swimming Pools” theme and exhibited a series of 40 works on this topic at the Galerie Parvis St. Merri in Paris.

1978                  Solo exhibition at the Galerie Ago in Berlin, where his painting entitled: ”Homo, Homini Lupus”, referring to intolerance, provoked fierce reactions. 

1977                  He participated in the Drawing Biennale at the Brooklyn Museum in New York.  He also had a solo exhibition at the Galerie Framond in Paris, and participated in a group exhibition at L'Art Fantastique in Tours, France.

1976                 Death of his father.  Group exhibition at the Galerie Bijan in Paris.

1975                 Start of the civil war in Lebanon.  He discovered Venice, Italy, in December.

 1974               Solo exhibitions at the Galerie Furstenberg in Paris and the Galerie Modulart in Beyrouth.  Group exhibitions at the Salon de Mai and La Jeune Gravure Contemporaine in Paris.

1973                He met with painters as remarkable and diverse as Francis Bacon, Alexander Calder and Giorgio de Chirico.  1973 marked a turning point in his career, where he felt totally involved for the first time.

1972                He met Max Ernst and also the young H.R. Giger and Philippe Mohlitz, inspired by the Surrealists and who had named themselves the “Fantastiques”.

1971               Back in Paris, where he settled, he participated in a group exhibition at Galerie G, where he presented mainly drawings.  The   publisher Pierre Argillet, intrigued with Jean’s work, purchased 60 of his drawings.  One-man show at Galeria Angolare in Milan where he presented drawings and etchings.

1970              First solo exhibition at Galerie L’Amateur in Beirut.

1969              Determined to begin developing his own style as a painter, he quit architecture and decoration.

1968             He returned to Lebanon in May, and spent a year at the head of the Furniture Design Center for University Laboratories in Beirut.

1967             He received a Master’s Degree from ENSAD (Ecole nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs) in Paris, with a major inarchitecture.  He started working as an architect, designing stores in Paris.

1962            He won the first prize in a competitive tapestry exhibition organized by the Sursock Museum of Beirut. 

                    He decided to continue his education in the center of the art world at the time: Paris, where he visited the Louvre Museum      several times a week.  He also met the painters Jean Carzou and Léon Tutundjian.

1960            He submitted a white copy at the Civil Engineering entry Examination and immediately joined the Fine Arts section.

1952             He studied in the French College, the annex of the American University of Beirut (A.U.B). His drawings were inspired by the classic masterpieces, which were illustrated in black and white art books in his family’s home.

1948             He attended the Armenian Mekhitarist School in Beirut.

                       Already, he was known for his drawings and caricatures.

1944             First drawings as a child.

1938             Jean was born on February 10, in Beirut, Lebanon.