Arman Nur
1971– · Armenian designer, jeweler, sculptor and painter
Arman Nur (born in Yerevan on 11 October 1971) is an Armenian designer, jeweler, sculptor and painter. His work spans several disciplines, but he is best known for author jewelry and public sculpture in Armenia and abroad. In his home country he has received official honours, including the Gold Medal of the Ministry of Culture (2012) and the Movses Khorenatsi medal from the President of Armenia (2013).
He trained in ceramics at a children's aesthetics centre in Yerevan and in metalwork at the Toros Roslin Institute of Applied Art. He later took courses in gemology at the Moscow Institute of Gemology and classes at the Miami International University of Art and Design. In 1999 he founded the Nur Design studio, and in 2015 he opened the Nur Art Gallery in Yerevan. His Aratta jewelry collection, inspired by twelve cities of historic Armenia, was shown in Moscow, St Petersburg, Paris and Shanghai.
In recent years his practice has centred on sculpture and painting. In 2017 his sculptures Fly and Evolution won the first prize and the Lorenzo il Magnifico Gold Medal at the Florence Biennale of Contemporary Art, and in 2019 his sculpture Jesus received the Critics' Award at the Bibart biennale in Bari. His public works include The Reader, installed near the Khnko-Aper National Children's Library in Yerevan in 2013, and the Seven Springs fountain in Republic Square.
His legacy lies mainly in presenting contemporary Armenian art at international fairs and biennials, and in bringing jewelry, sculpture and painting together within a single creative project.