Vahan Telpian was a mystic artist who practiced painting, sculpting, and decorative design. Born in 1963 to an Egyptian Armenian family, inheriting the Armenian artistic genes, and growing up in multicultural Cairo, he was an art lover. Inspired by his father’s passion for photography, it became his first step towards his unique path in the world of art.
At 17, he began drawing for the Le Progrès Egyptien daily newspaper as a weekly painter, and that was the starting buzzer. He was mentored by great Egyptian artists such as Ahmed Fouad Selim. He studied art academically at the Faculty of Art Pedagogy (Helwan University) and graduated with honors in the year 1988–1989.
He believed that art was not a stiff structure, where one could isolate a part from its whole, but rather a completely connected coherent existence. This belief formed his personality as a well-known painter and sculptor whose art pieces won various prizes and were acquired by top collectors such as Mohammed Hassnin Heikal and Naguib Sawiris. His paintings and sculptures were often presold.
The Starting Point
As a pioneer in introducing artificial rock installations, he designed, constructed, and decorated, as early as 1997, the artificial rock mountain and fountains of “Dream Land,” which became his first step in conquering the design and implementation of landscapes, interiors, exteriors, lighting units, and decorations.
Additionally, he participated in several group exhibitions with his paintings and sculptures and received several prizes, including:
The International Symposium on Sculpture
Telpian participated twice in the Aswan International Sculpture Symposium, which extended over two months during the 1998 and 1999 rounds. It was a festival held annually in Egypt on the hill overlooking the legends of the Nile Basin, connected to the “Nubian Museum,” famous for its amazing Pharaonic sculptural treasures. The enchanting geology and mythology inspired him and others as they worked under giant straw umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun, creating pieces connected to the traditions of Pharaonic sculpture and the achievements of ancient Egyptian sculptors who left unfinished obelisks, monuments, and statues.
Music that Addresses the Conscience, 2019
Telpian participated in the first scrap iron forum in Marsa Matrouh, organized by the General Authority for Cultural Palaces at the Matrouh Culture Palace in November 2019.
The city of Matrouh was chosen for the forum due to the connection between the art of sculpting scrap iron and the remnants of the Second World War, especially the presence of a huge amount of weapon remnants. These materials prompted artists to use metal remnants to create artworks that expressed the woes of war.
His artwork, Music that Addresses the Conscience, was formed from scrap iron, comprising long metal pipes stacked side by side as if they were engraved decorations. When air passed through these pipes, it created sounds like a musical bell, delighting the ears. The piece explored the impact of time and life on memory, love, and the authenticity of emotions over time.
Father-Son Art Exhibition, 2021
An exhibition by Vahan Telpian explored the complex relationship between a father and his son through a series of artworks curated by his son, Kayan.
Fire Extinguisher, 2021
A short film was performed by Vahan Telpian at the first contemporary art gallery in the Palace of Arts, Cairo Opera House.
Special Exhibitions
- A Painting and Sculpting Exhibition at Cairo-Berlin Gallery, 1992
- A relief sculpting and structural modeling exhibition at the Arts Complex, Zamalek, 1995
- An Exhibition at the Arts Complex, Zamalek, 1999
- Roots Exhibition at Darb 1718 (2008)
- A Painting and Sculpting Exhibition at Gallery Noot, 2018
- Father-Son Art Exhibition, 2021
Local Group Exhibitions
Vahan participated in several local group exhibitions from 1983 onward, including:
- Sixth Youth Salon, 1994; Eighth, 1996; Ninth, 1997; Tenth, 1998
- National Fine Arts Exhibition, session (25), 1997
- Fourth Salon of Small Works of Art, 2000
- Nour Al-Shakl Exhibition, third session, at the Palace of Arts, May 2017
- Second Sculpture Salon at the Palace of Arts, September 2018
- Exhibition (Egyptian-Sudanese Plastic Art) at the Ramattan Cultural Center in the Taha Hussein Museum, November 2019
- The First Forum for Rock Salt Sculpture in Siwa, 2020
- We Integrate Art Into Life, 2024
International Group Exhibitions/Overseas Exhibitions
- The Fourth International Sculpture Symposium in Aswan, 1999
- The Fifth Cairo International Ceramic Biennale, 2000
- The Eighth Cairo International Biennale, 2000
- Something Else at the Citadel, 2023
Local Awards
- Sixth Youth Salon Award, 1994
- Second prize at the Ninth Youth Salon, 1997
Official Collectibles
- Museum of Modern Egyptian Art
