Mini Biography: If any of his colleagues had managed or believed he bad managed, to "squeeze" the tragic shock the of December 1988 earthquake into his limited world of the aesthete, then for Hambartsum Ghukasian that cataclysm was so immense and its effect so disastrous that it could not but demolish the ephemeral bounds of the painter's illusory world, burst into his own life and change the artist's psyche and his creative vision, root and branch. That's why, perhaps, his paintings are distinguished by markedly individualized style, a highly expressive perception and tensive contrasting colours. Among the artistic means Hambartsum Ghukasian gives preference to composition, for its laws and potentialities can meet his ideological and artistic demands. The core of his creative work is to use the purifying and ennobling force of art to overcome the atmosphere of a national tragedy. Dramatic perception of the world is alien to the artist and his attention to the biblical themes does not witness his mystic attitude of mind. Beauty and vitality of a legend are not rooted in the fantastic character of a biblical subject or its historical authenticity, but in the human nature of its contents. Following the spirit of antiquated legends, the painter develops the motif of enchanting radiance and lightfulness with startling imagination. Nevertheless, his creative work is originated from a classical Armenian tradition, a stern rhythm of Armenian architecture and rich ornament of miniature art. The artist perceives the past as a living epopee, as the spiritual life of his people whom he considers to be unique even in their delusions and daring dreams.