No excuses: "I love people" - an interview with the artist Vrezh Kirakosyan
A Life Inspiration / / December 19, 2019
If you feel that life is unfair to you, read this interview. If you can not figure out how to earn a living, read this interview. If you do not believe in love, read this interview.
His hero - cheerful Vrezh Kirakosyan. The artist, a loving husband and father.
hero
- Welcome Vrej! Thank you for agreeing to participate in our project.
- Hello, Anastasia! Thanks for the invitation.
- Tell us about your childhood where you were born, brought up in a family?
- I was born in Yerevan. This "hero" - 4.5 kg, healthy, strong, intelligent. It was the 5th child in a family. Mom raised us alone.
From the point of view of genetics, there were no prerequisites, but when I was 8 months old, my mother holding me in her arms, crossing the ravine, we slipped and fell on the rocks.
In the fall of occurred contusion of the spinal cord, and then began to develop severe neuromuscular disease.
As a child, I got up to his feet, took a few steps, holding on to a table or a chair, but it is normal to go and could not. The disease has progressed. And gradually it developed to such an extent that now I can not lift my arm above his head.
- It marred your childhood memories?
- No, it does not bother me. Since my childhood I very cheerful. Always found yourself interesting activities: drawing, modeling, loved to read fairy tales, penned them to continue, fond of animation (invented and drew cartoons). My childhood was happy. :)
- And I did not have any complexes?
- You know, I have recently completed work on an autobiography, the book will be released soon (now it is on editing), where I have a lot of talk about how to overcome the difficulties of self-identification childhood ...
- While the book did not come out, tell a story. Exclusive to Layfhakera readers.
- I was 12-13 years old, a friend and I went to the pet store for aquarium fish (I was in a wheelchair). Trading pavilion was in the basement, so a friend went downstairs, and I waited for him in the street.
Nearby children playing ball. You know that if the ball "drops out" of the game and rolled to a passerby, he should kick it back to play. Ball "escaped" from the guys rolled toward me and stopped right at my feet. They are carefully looked at me, why I did not beat the ball? And one of the boys came up and said: "Do not you have no legs ?!".
I am a week after that did not leave the house.
Now I joked easily, but then, at age 12, was hurt ...
After all, I intrinsically felt that something different from their peers. He lived an ordinary child's life and did not remember that I had some kind of disease.
- In other words, your family treats you as an equal?
- Yes, my brothers and sister, though all did not notice. And my mother did not give any concessions. In some moments even had me more strict and demanding than the others. There was this: you can not walk, so you can indulge in and capricious. And I am grateful to my family for such an attitude.
"I just really love the people ..."
- Vrej how to build your education?
- I did not go to school, but studied independently. In Armenia, there is no system of home-based learning, and learning there was no money. Mom one raised 4 children.
So I learned everything by himself. In 4 years he mastered the Russian alphabet, learned to read and write in Russian.
- Painting is also self-study?
- Yes. As a child, I rarely went out of the house, and when the whole day in the four walls, you need something to do. And I learned.
- But why the stick technique?
- I'm drawing and pastel, and oil, and ink. But when I take a pencil, I feel - it's mine.
- As far as I know, you draw portraits on order and this earn. Right?
- Yes, for about 1.5 years I paint on order. People leave orders my site or through social networks, sending in their pictures. We agree on the price. I draw, showing the results on the web, and then send paper portrait post.
- About how much time is spent on a portrait?
- If I draw a day for 3-5 hours, then about 3 days. The fact that I have a very weak hand (on the left can move only two fingers), so I draw slowly.
- What inspires you to work?
- I just love life and love people. Each order, each portrait, each person - this is very individual.
Nothing is born a miracle - a white sheet of paper "comes to life" into a person. It inspires me. So I'm not waiting for inspiration descend on me. Just I start drawing and gradually sinking into the process so that I can not stop.
- And to draw a portrait, you need to chat with someone?
- In the beginning, when I first dabbled in the genre of the portrait, as required. But the experience of the skill it. Now examine the photo carefully enough to be able to accurately convey not only facial features, but also the nature.
- You have a lot of orders?
- Last year, when we were with his wife revealed on Channel One, was too much. So far in my email about 5000 unread messages, to which I replied slowly. I did not even have time to draw.
But a month to month is not necessary. Sometimes there are difficulties.
Also, I do not want to dwell only on the portraits. In my free time I draw orders original paintings. I would like to arrange a full show.
- Vrezh, and how you feel about the postulate that the artist must be hungry?
- Should not. If you look at history, not all artists were hungry. The same Salvador Dali was by no means poor.
But in most cases, unfortunately, it is.
Because people do not appreciate art so to pay for it. Those who give millions of dollars for a work of art - the units.
Now, not all depends on the talent and quality of drawings. For example, in Armenia, a lot of really good artists, but they are literally starving because they can not sell their work. Can not present yourself as an author, to advertise.
And it is a different story with the artist Igor Sakharov. He leads workshops and lectures. People know it, are drawn to him and thus buy his work.
So that the artist should not be hungry, especially if he has a family ...
Love will never end
- Vrej give the definition of "real man"?
- As a rule, a man has a family (whether married or single). Therefore, I believe that the real man - the one who takes care of their loved ones. I think of myself as I look like a lot of fun - not great "science". Much more difficult to put the interests above their own loved ones.
- And what about the man-defender? If a man can not physically protect loved ones, it is not real?
- You know, in ancient times, when they fought with swords, all really solved the physical strength. Now it does not matter. After all, what is the strength of mind, for example, automatic weapons?
Genuine power of men today - is his mind. If he is smart, it will always find a way to protect a loved one.
Therefore, returning to the previous question, we supplement - a real man preserves and protects families.
(Here our conversation Vrej joined his wife Elena, who all this time fed their daughter Masha and listened to our conversation.)
- Guys, tell your love-story?
Lena: We met 31 December 2011. In October of that year, I bought a computer without knowing how to use it at all. Registered in the social networks, and almost the first thing I saw there - a video message Vrej.
It sunk into my soul. Because I saw a bright, interesting person with a fighter character.
I decided to make him a gift for the New Year, sent money through the terminal. And to find out, reached or not, called embedding.
Vrej: Yes, we talked on the phone. Lena's voice seemed to me at once relatives. Then he started to correspond. At first friendly, then there was an attachment, and then I asked Lena to her in Armenia.
- Stop! So Lena from Armenia?
Lena: No, I'm from the city of Perm. :)
Vrej: We shared the 3000 km.
- Wow! Lena, how you decide on it?
Lena: After only 4 months of dating, I knew that I would go to Armenia. It was so easy and fun with the embedding, I absolutely forgot that he had a health condition restrictions.
I quit my job and started to look for jobs, just to make a round-trip ticket. June 8, 2012, I arrived in Armenia. Vrej met me at the airport ...
Vrej: I waited for Lena with a bouquet of flowers, accompanied by two of his friends. Lena was in shock, but not by my gallantry... :)
- And from what?
Vrej: Lena flew to me with very serious intentions, but the Internet communication - is one thing, a personal meeting - is quite another. We saw each other for video and photos, but still, when she saw me in reality, it was a shock.
Lena: I almost fainted. Fair.
I've seen before people in a wheelchair, but they were stacked in the same way as I do. Vrej completely different ...
Internet does not provide a complete picture of how a person looks.
We sat in a cafe at the airport, Vrej with friends joked, trying to rouse me, and I was afraid to even look at him. When we arrived at his home and stayed in the room alone, I started to cry, why I did come?
- What did you feel at that moment, Vrej?
Vrej: I was ready for it. I may be an optimist, but really look at life. So we talked about with Lena in advance that if we do not succeed, I let go of her and we'll stay friends.
Lena: He told me that since I arrived, why do not I just watch Armenia, because I've never been in a foreign country?
But a couple of days have passed and I stopped again to notice that Vrezh something different. :)
Vrej: Yes, everything will work out a couple of days. We walked, rested with friends, went on nature... A month passed.
- It is time to leave?
Vrej: Lena had to leave back to Perm.
She told me: "Vrezh, I can not connect my life with you, but if I fly away, and suddenly realize that I can not live without you, I will come back, and forever."
I said, "Lena, fly away." She flew away.
Lena: Two days later, I wrote embedding SMS, that I regret that left.
Vrej: Houses Lena told us his mother. She, too, was a shock. But after a couple of months back Helen flew to me, and we went to the registrar. :)
- Lena, what made you come back? What have Vrej, that no other men?
Lena: When we started talking, I was struck by how Vrej strong spiritually. I always ached, and he was never on what not complaining. In my environment it has been the norm to turn suddenly sprang up pimple on the nose of a universal catastrophe. A Vrej in this position, but he never complained.
In addition, he was very cheerful.
He really likes people. Sincerely.
I am compared to him, people quite aggressive.
But, of course, important is that it has the male terminal, which you mentioned earlier. He knows how to protect and defend. I was with him very calmly.
- You are discouraged from marriage?
Vrej: Lena, of course, discouraged. And me too. My mom told me, "Vrezh, honestly, if I was on the site of the Lena, I would never have married you."
But if you know what you want, if there is love, and if both are ready for the family, no you will not be able to talk.
- And now, still have to fight against stereotypes?
Vrej: It happens. Basically, the Internet. For example, just today received a message: "Do you have a daughter? You can not have sex, you're confined to a wheelchair! ".
I think that in the West this question, at least in such a tone, no one would have occurred to me to ask. But all evil tongues can answer: we have this all right! :)
- Last question: what dreams real man Vrezh Kirakosyan?
- I dream that my daughter to grow up healthy. I dream of personal exhibitions. My dream is to travel. Much of anything ...
In my opinion, we can not limit ourselves in dreams. To at least some of them are true.
- I wish that all your dreams come true. :)
Vrezh, Lena, thank you very much for the interview.
- And thank you, Anastasia.