On the Old Port, in one of the gray stone heritage buildings overlooking the water, Galerie Angelina has the clean-shaven look of one of those modern art glass cubes where gallerinas in high heels jostle in the movies. But inside, it’s something newer, a creative space that blends fine art and pop culture.
The gallery opened in April 2025, founded by Siname Pogossian, who moved from advertising to art with the desire to offer an alternative to the classic “art gallery”, embracing Art with a capital A -not just painting, sculpture but also music, jewelry, performance.
The young gallery owner currently presents the work of 26 international artists – those who aren’t necessarily well known, but who should be, or those who are highly visible and popular in their home countries, but not necessarily in Canada. It was while acquiring art from these artists that Siname realized she had brought together three Armenian artists from the same family at Galerie Angelina…
The works of an Armenian family
The three artists whose work is exhibited at the gallery live and work in Armenia, and their work is very different – in style and technique. Gagik Ghazanchyan, Lilit Soghomonyan and their son Guy Ghazanchyan have all chosen painting as their artistic medium, but their works demonstrate three distinct sensibilities.
Gagik Ghazanchyan (the father) paints abstract canvases, rich in color and texture, most of which are untitled. The space for interpretation is unlimited, open to the viewer’s emotions. Little known in Canada, he has exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in Yerevan, at Art Contemporain d’Arménie in Paris and at the Union des Artistes d’Arménie, where he received a presidential award for his work.
Lilit Soghomonyan (the mother) paints gentle female figures, imbued with transformation, bodies and pastel colors. She uses mixed media and graphic techniques in her work. She has also exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in Yerevan, the St-John Armenian Church in San Francisco and the Gevorgyan Gallery in Yerevan.
Guy Ghazanchyan (the son) paints emotions that become haunted figures, inspired by the emotional weight caused by the 2020 peak of violence in the Nagorno-Karabakh armed conflict. Young and talented, he has had solo exhibitions in the USA, Germany and Lebanon, as well as at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Yerevan. He is also the recipient of the Youth Prize, presented by the President of Armenia.
Practical info
From June to December, the gallery holds free 5@7 art events every first Thursday of the month and, on August 7, there will be a live sculpture demonstration…
Where? Galerie Angelina, 55 rue de la Commune Ouest
When? The gallery is open Tuesday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, noon to 9 p.m.