Having settled in Paris in 1969, Georges Ayvayan began his career in food production before devoting himself entirely to sculpture. The proliferation of solo and group exhibitions, both in Paris and in the provinces, enabled him to make this major career transition.
His artistic practice is characterized by an almost mystical approach: "My work is my prayer," a motto he adopted in reference to the sculptor Leopold Kretz. Between 1987 and 1989, he developed a particular ritual by wrapping and storing his daily work for 21-day periods in wooden crates that he called his "coffins," now scattered throughout private collections.
August 19, 1998, marked a decisive milestone: he began a 500-day countdown to the year 2000, requiring himself to create a work of art every day. This approach, which he compares to the perilous ordeal of a tightrope walker, aims to "conquer his vertigo" through creative discipline.
His artistic universe reveals a constant struggle against fate. His piles, accumulations, routines, and rituals bear witness to an existential quest in which art becomes a refuge and liberation. His way of freezing movement invites reflection on the impossibility of action, drawing modernity from "the dust of the centuries." Claiming his independence ("I belong to nothing!"), he pursues this "crazy creative adventure" that he has committed to leading "until his last breath."
