Saint Mesrop

Saint Mesrop – Arestakes

🔸 Technique : Art bronze
🔸 Dimensions : 80 x 80 x 60 cm
🔸 Bronze Prints : Numbered out of 8
🔸 Price : €40,000
🔸 See at : Square place de l'Europe - Alfortville 94140

* The Meeting *

This work of art carries within it a deeply spiritual story (for me). One day in 2015, as I was driving past the Place de l'Europe-Charles-Aznavour in Alfortville, which was undergoing renovation, a thought came to me:
“What a beautiful place to install a sculpture!”

A week later, as if by a strange coincidence, I received a call from Mr. Philippe Car, Deputy Mayor of Alfortville in charge of Culture and Community Life, inviting me to a meeting to discuss a sculpture project. On the day, I went to the town hall and met Mr. Philippe Car. During our meeting, I presented my work through my Pressbook in order to introduce him to my artistic world.

Shortly after, a second meeting was organized to further the discussion. This time, in the presence of Mr. Philippe Car and Mr. Richard Ananian, Deputy Mayor in charge of Urban Planning. A proposal was made to me: to create a bust of Saint Mesrop Mashtots for the Place de l'Europe-Charles-Aznavour.

At these words, a wave of emotion ran through me, giving me chills, because it echoed the thought I had a week earlier as I walked past this square. My first reaction was to point out that a bust at scale 1 risked getting lost in the immensity of the space; it had to be made on a larger scale, at least twice its normal size, in order to be fully visible.

Mr. Philippe Car then informed me that the budget might not allow for such an undertaking. Instinctively, I replied that this posed no problem: I wanted to offer part of my work as compensation. At that precise moment, the faces of the elected officials lit up. And that was when I had a vision of the bust of Saint Mesrop, as it currently stands on the Place de l'Europe-Charles-Aznavour.

I then suggested an alternative: instead of a bust twice as large, we could opt for a 1.30 scale version, featuring a moving torso, with both arms visible. Thus began this adventure, combining intuition, personal commitment, and spiritual inspiration.

* The Search for the Face of Saint Mesrop *

After our agreement, an essential question arose for me:
“What was the true face of Saint Mesrop Mashtots?”

I undertook extensive research, exploring various archives, until I arrived at the Matenadaran, the largest library of ancient manuscripts in Armenia. There, I received a crucial confirmation:
No physical description or representation of Saint Mesrop Mashtots existed.

Even Koriun, his disciple, who wrote his biography in 405 AD, speaks at length about his work, his commitment and his legacy, but without ever mentioning his physical appearance or his personality.

Faced with this total absence of representation, I took the liberty of embodying my own vision of Saint Mesrop Mashtots, a vision born during my meeting at the town hall, deeply rooted in my feelings and the symbolism of the place where his bust would rise.

I thus realized the Armenian face of my vision at the crossroads of the West and the East, a harmonious synthesis of these two physical influences. For a work intended to be installed on a square named "Place de l'Europe-Charles-Aznavour", this approach seemed to me not only relevant but also perfectly in line with the spirit of the place.

* The Realization *

First, I created a sketch model of the torso of Saint Mesrop Mashtots to present to the Alfortville Town Hall. This time, the meeting took place in the presence of the Mayor, Mr. Luc Carvounas, who initiated this project.

This project was part of a symbolic context desired by the Mayor: because the city of Alfortville is twinned with the city of Oshagan, in Armenia, where the tomb of Saint Mesrop Mashtots rests. After our exchange, the City Hall officially gave its approval for the realization of the work.

So I began my work, requiring no less than 280 kg of clay to shape the saint's torso.

The adventure, both magical and spiritual, did not end there. Throughout the creation, extraordinary events manifested themselves, what I like to call:
"The Gifts" 

Every morning, while sharing an oriental coffee with my mother, incredible surprises occurred. Without even turning the cup over (because we don't usually turn it over), simply by observing the patterns left by the coffee grounds on the walls, fascinating images appeared: Mount Ararat, Armenian churches, one day, the very silhouette of the torso of my sculpture.

For me, it was fabulous and very moving.

So the magic continues, day after day…

Saint Mesrop, emerging from the soil of Armenia, facing his parchment placed on an oak log, draws his inspiration from Mount Ararat, located behind him, for the creation of the Armenian alphabet. His head is turned to his left, while his raised hand points to Mount Ararat located behind him, thus emphasizing his spiritual and intellectual connection with this emblematic symbol of Armenia. While his right hand transcribes the letters of the Armenian alphabet. Since Mount Ararat is not present in the square, an idea came to me spontaneously: I integrated it directly onto the forehead of Saint Mesrop Mashtots as a wrinkle. In the days that followed, other symbolic inspirations emerged. I decided to re-evok Mount Ararat, this time on his chest, near the heart, by inscribing the name of Mesrop Mashtots. In the Western alphabet, the letter "M" resembles the silhouette of Mount Ararat, whose two peaks naturally give it this iconic shape.

Mesrop Mashtots was born on the western side of Mount Ararat (formerly Greater Armenia) and died in Armenia on the eastern side of Mount Ararat. For this reason, the "M"s in his first and last name, appearing in the shape of Mount Ararat, are reversed: one peak is higher than the other, thus symbolizing historical Armenia, divided between the West and the East.

Press-Book:
• The MAG
• Val-de-Marne-Infos
• News from Armenia magazine