The photographer is the son of one of the most active leaders of Van’s heroic resistance, Armenak Yekarian. After surviving the Genocide, Gurgen moved to Cairo, where, due to his father’s death, he was forced to leave his studies and become an apprentice at the studio of photographer Nasibyan. In the early 1930's, he opened his own photography business in Cairo. At the same time he took active part in the cultural life of Egypt’s Armenian community where he staged amateur productions of ‘Arshin Mal-alan’ and ‘Anush’ operas.(1)

In 1947, Yekarian repatriated to Soviet Armenia with his wife and children and opened the ‘Gurgen’ photo-salon on Pushkin Street in Yerevan. This studio was a favourite gathering place for repatriates, as well as for Armenian actors, musicians and artists. Many notable cultural figures, such as Gohar Gasparyan, Hovhannes Chekidjyan, Tatul Altunyan and others, had their portraits taken here.

Together with photographers Khanoyan and Khandikyan, Yekarian helped shape the ‘cosmopolitan’ style of mid-century photographic portraiture that defined the production of Yerevan’s photo-studios during the 1940s-60s. Yekarian continued to work in his metier right up until his death in 1977.

1) For biographical details see Vahan Kochar, Hay Lusankarichner [Armenian Photographers], self-published, 2007, p.157

Vigen Galstyan, 2016