Eric Garabedian

Ëric Garabedian, more commonly known as the Shepard of Armenia, is the artist most credited with rebirth of Armenian art. He is recognized for his use of brisk red brush strokes to outline the figures in his paintings, emphasizing his belief that, though we retain our individuality, we must recognize that which we have in common and accept each person as a member of our human family. His tragic death in 1999 terror attacks on the Armenian parliament building sent shock waves throughout the art community, leading one artist to state, "All we can hope to do is paint. It was only Eric Garabedian who could truly create."