Abel Karen (b. 1963, Yerevan) is a painter whose practice draws from the visual language of decorative and applied arts, combining symbolic imagery with rich cultural references. A graduate of the Yerevan State Institute of Fine Arts and Theatre (1986), his work bridges influences from medieval European painting and ancient Eastern traditions.

Abel Karen’s compositions engage with timeless themes—human existence, love, and the pursuit of beauty—expressed through layered symbolism and ornamental structure. His paintings achieve a balance between narrative and decoration, creating contemplative spaces shaped by historical memory and myth. The artist’s paintings serve as a gateway to an enigmatic parallel realm, where the figures depicted seem to mesmerize with their magnetic presence and appear to come alive in the mind’s eye.

A member of several international artistic organizations, including the International Federation of Artists (UNESCO), Abel Karen has exhibited extensively throughout Europe, the Middle East, and the United States, with solo exhibitions in Moscow, New York, and Aleppo, as well as participation in international art fairs and museum exhibitions.