Sarko Meené reflects on the exploration of meanings related to memory, handwriting and Armenian letters through the manuscripts of her grandfather, writer and poet Karpis Surenyan and specifically through her book ‘The Mystery of being Armenian’: “I am fascinated by the heavily edited and crossed out pages. Using the concept of layers, I integrate my grandfather’s text as a fundamental layer with a wire mesh as a secondary layer, creating depth and allowing light to penetrate through the layers of matter.
Symbolically, the stainless steel layer represents protection, as I myself, who identify with such a layer, stand in defense of my grandfather’s legacy. The deceptive appearance of the wire mesh, initially resembling silk, emphasizes themes of femininity and strength. These layers represent various aspects of life and are a reflection of the continuity between past, present and future”.

WORKS ON DISPLAY

Արևորդիներ
Figli del Sole
Sons of the Sun
2023. Screen printing and wire mesh manipulated with fire torch. 200x120x22cm

Il mistero di essere armeno
The Mistery of being Armenian
2024. Original handwritten letter and wire mesh on wood. 31x21x5cm

BIOGRAPHY

Sarko Meené (stage name of Armine Sarkavagyan, Yerevan, Armenia, 1984), after a bachelor’s degree in arts in the USA, has been living and working permanently in Armenia since 2011. After a career as a professional tennis player and a degree in Master of Arts and Philosophy, she returned in 2008 to Armenia where she devoted herself completely to art. Her works focus on Armenian memory and in particular on the work of her grandfather, writer Karpis Surenyan whose handwritten letters Sarko uses.