I was born in Beirut in April 1965 into a family of internationally known artists of Armenian descent. My parents Mr. Arka Panos Ghanimian and Mrs. Madeline Jacob Djourian started their life journey together as teachers in Ethiopia, came back to Lebanon for about 2 years and then moved to Kuwait in the early 70s to work on establishing the New Armenian School. My mother was Kindergarten Headmistress for many years and my father was Headmaster for a short time, but left his teaching career to join the business world. However, my sister Maggie and I continued our education in the New English School of Kuwait. After schooling, I went to America until the invasion of Kuwait 1990.
After the liberation of Kuwait from the invading Iraqi army, I came back to start all over with everything that I missed out on the ten years I spent in USA. I started thinking about having my own business in art and contracting works with what I already accomplished. I could have gone back to USA, but my father passed away and I started my journey in Kuwait in 1991. It was a challenge how to live with everyone with the war, but what to do, cannot wait around lack of knowledge to exit everyone and expect miracles at home in another country.
I have produced and published numerous works presently distributed through Stepan Graphics. Gallery showings have been presented throughout the Middle East and some of the Western countries. Local notoriety has been achieved through fine art displays found at trade shows, and art fairs in greater Los Angeles, California while studying at Northrop University as Aerospace Engineer near LAX, and later across several States to eventually find my way through to do some as well back in Kuwait on top levels.
At the beginning, It was very hard to know people. But, I always had my memories of the teachers who promoted me to become the number one student in art, school choir and even sports, during ceremonies and holiday seasons before 1980 at the time of Mr and Mrs Rajab, Mrs Naqib and Mr Rogers at the NES Kuwait. NES was considered the number one institution in the entire Gulf region especially in Computers and its environment and life at home to just do what needs to be done to accomplish and somehow start a new project as often as possible, and the celebrations at that time for Kuwait qualifying the world cup, with parties every weekend. Up to today, I am proud of talking about them as they gave me so much to be proud of in the Art business as well. It helped me to become a proper businessman with all the communication results that I have accomplished wherever I had gone, to know more as well what people think about me, in my second country after Lebanon, being so conservative to grow up serious with the simplest and easiest.
Nowadays I serve in the Armenian Church in Kuwait, like I did back when I was a boy, but this time promoted. During the week, I work in the airline industry, for Flydubai’s Kuwait branch. I enjoy life every day while pursuing my hobby and building my profile towards being an engineer, artist and an entrepreneur in the International tourism industry and commercial business in commissions.
My goal is to work and stay busy and keep on going at a steady pace in advertising for my art business to attract customers to know people, to make money for my family around the world, and keep progressing with my words as well. Like the rest of the working class, we work to accomplish and create international relationships, personal peace and better communication, to keep living in this oasis to rise from our mistakes to the city.
In summary, even though educated at art, my path is not clear to avoid overload of extracurricular activities with my work. Even the simplest things in life need time and perfection to make again a home away from home at the West as well, to start something easier until due time for the more difficult when luck strikes to pull it all together.
To be able to forget our pasts as robot workers in our offices for the future, to be able to create and experience the way we want to, and to be able to learn from our mistakes by going back to it sometimes in our dreams, until it will kill us, and do only what we do to love… Navigate to (click & go) in U15 in USA section, to look/read at the story behind it, secretly named by me “That Proud Vision“. There are others as well all over, each illustrated exclusively without the money…etc.
