Garnik Der Hacopian

Garnik Derhakopian, a modernist painter, graphic designer, and architect, was born in 1944 in Maragheh, Iran. He moved to Tehran in 1961 and studied at the Kamal-ol-Molk Art School. In 1971, he graduated from the Faculty of Decorative Arts. Derhakopian was a member of the influential Ghandriz Hall Group. Together with Rouin Pakbaz, Mansour Ghandriz, Mohammad Reza Jodat, Mir-Hossein Mousavi, and others, he helped establish one of the most active and influential private art institutions in Tehran during the 1960s. After joining the Ghandriz Painters’ Group, Derhakopian pursued a new artistic direction in his work. His first solo exhibition was held in 1975 at Seyhoun Gallery, and two years later, several of his works were exhibited at the Basel International Art Fair in Switzerland. After the 1979 Revolution, Derhakopian focused on architecture and interior design. He did not exhibit his paintings for 38 years until he held a solo exhibition at Aaran Gallery in 2016. Since then, his works have been shown in numerous solo and group exhibitions both in Iran and abroad, and by 2025, his pieces have appeared in art auctions 11 times.