About Gérard

During the Genocide of 1915 - when the Ottoman Empire ruthlessly invaded Armenia - his grandparents were killed, and their children, his parents, miraculously escaped to the South of France. They settled in Nice, giving birth to Gérard in 1943.

At the age of ten, he found the urge to illustrate the things that were taught in literature class. His professeur was amazed at his voluntary transposition of words into images. But his ambitions to become an artist never materialized after his family's immigration to Canada in 1955. 

It was here that art, which has always been his preoccupation, became his consuming passion. Following a four-year program at the Ontario College of Art, he enjoyed an award-winning career as a commercial artist. In 1983, the exceptional demand for his limited edition prints enabled him to become an independent illustrator, which allowed him to pursue his second great passion: travel. He has traversed six of the seven continents, an experience which has given him both an appreciation of Canada's outstanding qualities, and a global comprehension. 

Paraghamian's mixed media combines watercolour, pencil, pen and ink, opaquing and felt pens to create representation, which combine an evocative palette with a remarkable level of detail. This union of mood and material generates more than a sense of place. It conveys through an ever-changing bouquet of colours and feelings of community and belonging. Such a diverse style is ideally suited to corporations and organizations with a story to tell and moments to remember. He has garnered a loyal following within the corporate collective, having done work for high-class entities like UNICEF. His distinctive style is ideal for a broad range of applications, from limited edition prints, posters and art cards to premiums such as tableware.