RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan received Israeli-Armenian potter, businessman Nishan Balian and his wife, Siba Balian.

Cordially greeting the guests, the Minister congratulated the great compatriot of the Balian potters on the occasion of the “Art of Armenian Faience of Kutina” exhibition hosted at the Komitas Museum-Institute and showcasing the works by Nishan Balian’s mother, Mary Balian and the Balians. The Minister of Diaspora expressed her admiration of the activities of the artist, who continues and improves the tradition of the extended family and has factories producing ceramic items in Jerusalem and Jordan and is a well-known engineer in the region. The Minister voiced hope that Nishan would transmit the traditions of his family to Armenia’s potters and would also open a factory in the homeland.

Nishan Balian expressed gratitude for the cordial reception and stated that even though his family’s works have been showcased in Washington DC, Boston, the Alicante College of Spain and Tel Aviv, but the exhibition at the museum of the brilliant son of Kutina, Komitas, was extraordinary, inspiring and binding.

Prior to the Armenian Genocide, three Armenian families of potters (the Ohanians, the Garagashians and the Balians), who had been displaced from Kyotahia to Israel by the British to renovate the cupola of the church of Jerusalem, established their school and businesses, and to this day, two families have been enhancing their art for over a century.

The master potter proudly stated that during his visit to the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute following the visit to the Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex, he had found the plate with the Armenian coat-of-arms that his father, Sedrak Balian had made.

The interlocutors discussed investments in Armenia and other issues.