Seta Manoukian: Encounters, Back and Forth

Conference by Gregory Buchakjian

25.02.2019
Saradar Collection Offices

We are happy to introduce you to the work of Seta Manoukian at the occasion of the launch of her first monograph, co-published by Saradar Collection and Kaph Books.

From the late 1960s to the mid 1980s, Seta Manoukian was a prominent figure in the Beirut art scene. Her paintings are directly linked with the historical and political events of the times. Though she never depicted battles or bombings, she captured tension, anguish, hope and despair that were prevalent in the city. The works also emphasize on her intimate identity as a women but also as a part of the Armenian diaspora in an Arab country.

In 1986, as a consequence of ongoing strife, the Manoukians immigrated to Los Angeles. Seta Manoukian pursued her artistic activity through paintings, installations and performances, before shifting her energy and attention towards a spiritual path, becoming a Buddhist nun. After decades of withdrawal from the art world and from the country of her birth, she will be back in Beirut on March 7 for the official book launch and roundtable at Sursock Museum.