Calgary Sculptor Wins Big in Argentina
Vahe Tokmajyan, a Calgary-based sculptor and instructor at the University of Calgary, was selected to represent Canada at the prestigious 2010 International Sculpture Biennial in Chaco, Argentina in July. The event hosted 10 international artists, who were given eight days to complete an original sculpture, and worked in the city’s central square in front of thousands of spectators.
“The event was very well organized and the city of Chaco is quite amazing,” said Tokmajyan. “There are over 500 sculptures on display throughout the city on street corners and in public parks. Sculpting is a strong tradition in that part of the world. Also, my father, Levon Tokmajyan, was representing Armenia and competing at the event too and it was my pleasure to work along side him during this competition.”
The sculptors developed their creations using a local travertine stone and their designs were guided by the event’s theme, which was globalization. Each sculptor was also given an opportunity to present their art and speak about their country’s culture. As Tokmajyan explains, there was great public interest in learning about Canada and Alberta.
“I presented on ice and snow sculptures, which is a completely new medium to them. They were fascinated to learn about ice and snow sculpture festivals I’ve competed at in Edmonton, Lake Louise and throughout Quebec.”
Tokmajyan’s creation was a multiple faced statue that represented one united face for the 21st century, bridging the gap between different heritages and races. “I liked the sculpture that I created. It’s hard to love my own work because when I’m done I always want to change something, but this time I didn’t want to change anything.”
The appreciation for Tokmajyan’s statue was mutually felt by the Argentina public, as he was awarded the 2010 Public Choice Award for International Sculptor. “Winning the award was a little unexpected. That day during the closing ceremonies, there were over 100,000 people packed into the central square with lots of media in attendance from across South and Central America. It was an unforgettable experience.”
Vahe Tokmajyan was able to participate in the 2010 International Sculpture Biennial in Chaco through the Alberta Foundation for the Arts’ Cultural Relations funding program. This funding program is dedicated to supporting professional artists and arts organizations in any discipline that will represent Alberta at a national or international level. Having participated in many international sculpting symposiums and competitions, Tokmajyan hopes that he can help to connect Albertans with his craft. “Calgary has many beautiful parks and it is my dream to see one of those parks turned to a public sculpture park that features many great artists.”
