Pierre KOUKJIAN, conceptual artist
Working across a wide range of media, and common daily subjects , Pierre transforms well known materials and stories into artistic phenomena.
His works are known for their strong character , primitive and yet avant garde with often provocative symbolic resonance. Transforming materials, such as hammered steel, titanium , industrial foam , brass, neon, glass….and giving them new use and meaning… Using his nomadic life experience as a source of inspiration , holding 3 nationalities flÂuent in 5 languages, living around the World , gave him the ability to target some very global issues. Born in Beirut 1962 , Pierre was a teen with passion for drawing, when the outbreak of the Lebanese civil war forced him to leave his homeland in the late seventies. Pierre started life in Germany where he encountered many artist and designers and gained valuable experience and skills in design and sculpture . In 1990 Pierre moved to Paris, where he re‑newed his skills. His work was immediately recognized by the most prominent private collectors, who acquired his most poetically daring erotic sculptures, a few pieces found their way to a private private museum. In 1994 he moved to the far east living between Bangkok and Singapore, gaining a reputation in Asia, then in the late 90’s Pierre choose Madrid as his home.
Today Pierre works from his workshop in Geneva as a conceptual artist, in this city he found himself and coming out with concepts as hammered steel , cement with bronze sculpture, neon works, while still oil on canvas is his daily task. Pierre likes to give back to the young Artists of tomorrow by lecturing them at Colleges in Hong Kong, Paris and Madrid.
2003 Geneva design award
2004 Tokyo best design award
2005 Best slogan award “Since tomorrow”
2012 Mona museum for neon and kinetic art
2013 musee d art et histoire Geneva
2014 Boghossian foundation, Villa Empain, Brussels
2014 Public work in Geneva.