Lightspace Gallery Reception for "LIVE BY LOVING", by Zaven Khachikyan

Join us for the Opening Reception of “Live by Loving”, an exhibition by Armenian artist Zaven Khachikyan, whose work explores compassion, resilience, and the power of empathy in times of displacement.

Through an evocative blend of photography and fabric, Khachikyan reflects on the lives of families displaced from Artsakh after the 2020 war. Each piece intertwines the intimacy of personal archives, family photographs, fragments of carpets, and traces of domestic life, with artistic reinterpretation, inviting visitors to witness the endurance of humanity amid loss.

“Live by Loving” reminds us that even within fractured homes, love and warmth endure. The artist calls upon us to take part in this act of empathy, to live by loving.

Opening Reception: Sunday, November 16, 2025
Time: 3 PM – 5 PM
Location: Lightspace Gallery, International Art Museum of America
Admission: Free and open to the public

Reserve Your Spot

Space is limited — please register in advance to attend the opening reception.

About the artist:

Zaven Khachikyan is highly regarded as Armenia’s top documentary and artistic photographer, and he is often considered one of the most influential photographers of his generation in Armenia. He was born in 1955 in Mergri, Armenia and studied Physics, Philosophy, and Fine Arts.

Khachikyan documented the struggles and joys of a society in great flux, producing works that have been celebrated equally for their compassion, powerful statements, and artistry. In addition to collaborating with many of Armenia’s most respected newspapers and magazines as a photojournalist and photo essayist, Khachikyan has worked as a freelancer with AP, TASS, Time, Paris Match, and other international media organizations.

At the same time, Khachikyan was the first to define commercial photography in Armenia, bringing high-production values and his indelible style to projects in poster design, public-awareness campaigns, and advertising.

Khachikyan has also been instrumental in launching and directing a number of far-reaching photographic and cultural programs. He founded the East-West Intercultural Relations Center in Yerevan, and during the late 1990s through the early 2000s, he oversaw a diverse publishing and educational initiative for children (directed a number of pioneering photography-training projects) and youth (created two specialized online photography forums) with sponsorships from the Eurasia Foundation, Open Society Institute (OSI), and UNICEF.

Khachikyan’s photography has appeared in nearly a dozen books, with publishers ranging from the British Library and Paris-Musées to Somogy and Indiana University Press.

Khachikyan has also held exhibitions of his thematic works throughout Europe, Armenia, Russia, and the United States. One of the more notable exhibits Khachikyan participated in was, “Crossing Borders between Turkey and Armenia,” launched by the Institute for Historical Justice and Reconciliation (IHJR) in 2013. A visual dialogue between three photographers: Zaven Khachikyan of Armenia, Mesut Tufan of Turkey, and Kadir van Lohuizen of the Netherlands.

With awards including Best Photojournalist of the Year by Union of Journalists of Armenia, and recently received the Republic of Armenia Presidential Award, Khachikyan today remains at the vanguard of international photography, with a distinct imprint known for both its narrative vision and cutting-edge techniques.

MEMBERSHIP
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)

London Photographic Association

Yerevan Press Club (YPC)