Pop princess Sirusho - Armenian Reporter

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Adrineh Gregorian. artisan Designer Crafter of mysticism Michael Aram dazzles connoisseurs during a stop in Los Angeles by Adrineh Gregorian Only one word can describe the scene at the Regali Preciozo gift shop in Glendale on the unusually cold windy day in December: pandemonium. There’s a swarm of women gathered in and outside the shop, waiting anxiously to meet their idol. The man of the day, however, is not an actor, a rock star, or even an athlete, but designerartist Michael Aram. Walking into the store, one can’t help but get caught up in the frenzy. Among the luxurious crystal vases and porcelain sculptures bearing highend names such as Baccarat and Lladro lies a display of delicately crafted metal objects normally found in nature: a silver lotus leaf shaped as a bowl, a bronzed pomegranate candleholder, or a knife shaped like a twig, to mention a few. However, these objects are better suited to a museum gallery than the wilderness. They are the decorative pieces designed by Michael that households across the world can’t get enough of. At the end of the narrow store, Michael sat calmly behind a desk, greeting admirers and individually signing pieces with an engraving pen. Throughout the five hours he spent at Regali Preciozo, champagne flowed and hors d’oeuvres were served to eager women scrimmaging to purchase the last remaining displays. Meanwhile, an endless steam of patrons waited in line, carrying boxes of Michael Aram. favored pieces and newly acquired merchandise. The Michael Aram Collection is replete with functional art pieces. Each handcrafted creation is like a sculpture modeled after a familiar object in nature. “It’s mobile merchandise,” says Regali Preciozo owner Joseph Toorian, who at first wasn’t sure if Michael was Armenian. “The pieces are always moving and pushing each other in different directions,” he adds. Toorian sells Michael’s creations as gifts for housewarmings, weddings, anniversaries, or as collector pieces. Regali Preciozo presold their inventory four times over for this event, leaving women to plead for C12 Armenian Reporter Arts & Culture 12/29/2007
the display tables designed by Michael himself. “It was so heartwarming for me,” says Michael, who knew the store was owned by Armenians but had no idea the majority of the day’s customers would be Armenian as well. “I love it. I feel that there is a greater enthusiasm,” he continues, as he comments on meeting Armenians at similar signing events across the United States. Aida Mangassarian and daughter Yvette Amirian came back more than once throughout the day. “To me it’s a proud moment that there’s an Armenian designer that we can support,” Mangassarian says. Collector Ivet Tahmazian owns almost every piece designed by Michael Aram. She proudly displays them in a room dedicated to the artist. “I couldn’t bring the vases,” she says in a disheartened tone. Michael signed six pieces for Tahmazian, some in Armenian and others incorporating the specific design of each piece. Maral Kazandjian was the last to come through the line. Michael personalized her selected pieces. She says she likes the pomegranates because they show an Armenian side. Origins of a designer Ever since he was a young child, Michael has had an interest in the arts. “I loved to make things,” he recalls. “I was forever in my parents’ basement making furniture, making art, restoring old furniture, and taking things like clocks and dishwashers apart.” Michael’s family always encouraged his experimentations and exposed him to art. In college, Michael doublemajored in art history and fine arts, not knowing that he would make a career out of design. He went on to study at the University of Florence and the Arts Students League of New York and eventually became a graphic designer. Michael landed a job as a freelancer at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art. During his three years at the museum, his heavy exposure to fine and decorative arts had a profound effect on him. He was mainly inspired by Alexander Calder, an artist who took art off the wall and put it into Michael’s Armenian heritage has been an essential source of inspiration for his Armenian Reporter Arts & Culture 12/29/2007 C13 work.
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