Zohrab Kemkemian is a professional marine painter who knew the sea and loved it at early age when he was a boy in Alexandria. The artist was born into an Armenian family in Egypt, the place of the pharaohs’ civilization, and settled in Los Angeles. He has had an affinity for drawing and painting since childhood. At the age of seven he participated in an art contest with watercolors, which was his ticket to a future life as an artist. His early works are influenced by the Nile River, old Cairo, the Alexandria coast, villages, crop fields, and ancient historical scenes. Zohrab followed his passion in art by attending English mission college at the “Leonardo da Vinci” Academy of arts in Cairo under the tutelage of professor M Hassan, who taught him many traditional techniques used by the old masters and that he still uses, practices, and enhances with his new methods.
Zohrab traveled to London and Paris to study the masters and their ways to further enhance his techniques in creating his artwork. He moved to Montreal where he pursued his profession as a Design Engineer & Plant Manager at Cinram Corp., while also continuing his artistic works. During this time hehad two successful solo exhibitions in 1973 & 1976 and presented Canadian scenes, maritime subjects and seascapes. Many works were acquired by collectors. In 1978 he moved to Vancouver, BC. In his studio on Hastings Street, he accepted many commissions from collectors and art patrons. In 1982 he moved to Los Angeles to be part of Baxter Medical, Ivax Corp. and B Braun Medical Corporation as a Sr. Eng. Specialist, designing many surgical devices. After an early retirement he now fully dedicates his time to his art.