Ovanes Berberian

Ovanes Berberian creates vibrant impressionistic paintings that capture the fleeting beauty of natural light. His Armenian heritage and rigorous training under master colorist Sergei Bongart have shaped a distinctive voice in contemporary American Impressionism.

Our gallery shares a special connection with Ovanes Berberian. When our founder's collection had grown beyond the walls of his home, it was Ovanes himself who encouraged the creation of Mercier's Gallery, saying simply, "Why don't you make a gallery and share all these wonderful pieces "

This personal relationship has given us access to exceptional works, including rare pieces from his European and Hawaiian travels. Born in Armenia in 1951 and trained in the rigorous academic tradition, Berberian brings a masterful understanding of what he calls the most important element in painting: color harmony.

Technique

"In painting the most important thing is color harmony", Berberian states.

This philosophy infuses every canvas with vibrant warm and cool tones balanced in harmonious interplay.

He begins each painting by toning the white canvas with transparent washes of color, creating an underpainting of loose, flowing hues. During this stage, he ignores exact local colors, instead alternating warms and cools to establish an abstract harmony of light and shadow. Bits of these initial washes remain visible in the final work.

He customizes his own painting medium, mixing linseed oil, gum turpentine, and Damar varnish in precise ratios. "Paint like a millionaire", he advises his students, encouraging generous amounts of paint to achieve luscious, thick paint quality.

Recognition

Berberian has exhibited extensively across the United States, from prestigious galleries in Carmel and Santa Barbara to Taos and Colorado Springs. His works are held in distinguished collections including those of legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus and renowned designer Steve Chase. With a record auction price of $18,125 at Christie's New York and recent gallery sales exceeding $36,000, his paintings represent both artistic excellence and sound investment for serious collectors.