Valentin Podpomogov: Dreams About Life and Death

April 18, 2025 – June 29, 2025 Valentin Podpomogov, as an artist—and especially as a painter—is a unique phenomenon in Armenian cultural reality, not only in a figurative, but in a literal sense. 

Despite already having a significant legacy in Armenia’s creative field, Podpomogov started painting in the later period of his oeuvre, having already passed the age of fifty… being entirely self-taught. He reinvented himself as an artist, fully dedicated to painting—a world where form, color, and symbol merge into a space of philosophical and spiritual inquiry. Podpomogov introduced a completely new type of painting into the Armenian art scene—new in both subject matter and artistic approach: technically classical, nearly canonical, but in content—allegorical, mystical-surrealist.

Within the scope of the exhibition, Dreams About Life and Death, the Cafesjian Center for the Arts presents a special selection of Valentin Podpomogov’s works from family and private collections. The artist, unfortunately, did not leave behind a large legacy, and thematically, the body of work can be quite broad. Nonetheless, the works selected for this project reflect—sometimes symbolically, allegorically, philosophically, and in some cases literally—Podpomogov’s artistic pursuits around the metaphysical boundaries of life and death. Some of the artworks in the show are presented for the first time.

Valentin Podpomogov was born on April 29, 1924, in Yerevan. In 1939, he began working at the “Haykino” studio as an animation artist, and from 1940 he served as a production designer at the “Hayfilm” studio. He worked as a production designer on around 20 feature films. As a director or script writer of animated films, he created several works, including The Magic Carpet (1948), A Drop of Honey (1968), The Legend of Lake Parvana (1970), and Puy Puy Mouse (1971). From 1960 to 1964, he held the position of Chief Artist of Yerevan. In 1967, he founded the animation department at “Hayfilm,” contributing to the development of Armenian animation. The same year, he was awarded the title of Merited Artist of the Armenian SSR. Podpomogov had been a member of the Union of Cinematographers of Armenia since 1958, a member of the Union of Artists since 1959. At the age of 50, he began painting. His works are held in the Museum of Contemporary Art in Yerevan and in private collections. Valentin Podpomogov passed away on July 18, 1998, in Yerevan.