Bom in the city of Constanta, Romania in 1949 of Armenian parents.
Become member at local art club at the age of 7.
Continued his art education at the high school of Music and Art in Constanta.
On his own starts to do copies after Rubens,Rembrant, Vermeer. Also starts to do his own creation inclined toward an semiabstract surrealism.
In 1968 fails to enter the Institute of Fine Arts in Bucharest. Enters the Institute of Cartographic Design in Bucharest for 2 years.
Immigrated to USA in 1971 with his family (parents and one older brother). Hard beginning in New York.
As he is forced the hard way to make a living yet continue his artistic career.
In 1980 returns to Romania but readjusting becomes impossible.
In 1982 comes back to New York where he still lives.
In 1985 he choses Queens cityscapes, as his maj or subject.
By 1993 semiabstract surrealism elements are incorporate more and more in his creations.
Actually he had an ease with semiabstract approach early on but he was much too cautious to have them on. Due to the fact that he felt that by being more realistic in the beginning he could get also the approval of the common man. Lately feeling that he had developed a style of his own becomes more confident incorporating semiabstract elements.

1968 Bucharest, Romania
1969 Constanta, Romania
1971 Beirouth, Lebanon
1975 Lynn Kotler Galleries, New York, USA
1976 - 88 St Moritz Hotel, organized by ASA ( Armenian Students Association) New York, USA
1981 Constanta, Romania
1988 Cultural Environ, Queens, New York, USA
1989 La Guardia College Gallery, Queens, New York, USA
1989 Helio Galleries NYC USA
1989 Morin Miller Gallery NYC, USA
1990 Clapp & Tutle Gallery, Woodbery, New Haven, CT, USA
1990 Lincon Saving Bank, NYC, USA
1991 York Square Cinema Gallery, New Haven, CT, USA
1991 Old State House, Hartford, CT, USA
1991 Triplex Gallery (Manhattan Community College)
1991 BBDO Gallery, NYC, USA
1992 Monserrat Gallery, NYC, USA
1992 Manhattan Graphic Center, NYC, USA
1992 Abney Gallery, NYC, USA
1993 World Wide Gallery NYC, USA
1993 St James Armenian Church, Los Angeles, USA
1993 Erevan, City Gallery, Armenia
1994 Puck Bulding Gallery, NYC, USA
1994 St. Thomas Armenian Church, New Jersey, USA
1995 Puck Building Gallery, NYC, USA
1996-99 Puck Building Gallery, NYC, USA

Joseph Merkel of "ARTSPEAK" April 16 1989
"What has happened aesthetically with Donikian is a shift in attention from understanding the general ambience of his urban life scene to becoming more specific.
Obviously this is no Hopperesque approach, not even philosophically.
It's a new game with new rules, new moods, new emphases.
Donikian resolves social problems and painter's problems at one and the same time.
He possesses a special insight for his 'homeland/ speaking respectfully of 'the cocktail of architectural styles' that is the area outside the inner city. To Simon Donikian, the buildings make real sense in their own social and cultural context. To him, a cityscape is a landscape with the souls residing there. He wants each of his figures to have models in real life.
In finding an art of place, he has come upon more fundamental issues and is resolving questions of life and art.
The achievement of Edward Hopper serves as a precedent, but Simon Donikian comes with a different background to strike out on a new pathway in a new era."

Alfred Lubrano of "Daily News - Queens section" February 19, 1990
"It is this crowded quality of people going about their business that is the main difference between Donikian and another New York City landscape artist to whom he has been compared, Edward Hopper.
Simon Doninian: "Queens is the best place in the U.S. to paint. It's much better than Manhattan - too many verticals. Queens has romance. Manhattan has a tremendous coldness. Queens has people with problems, but they share their problems."


Diana Roberts of "Manhattan Arts" March - April 1990
"Donikian's ability to be figurative without sacrificing art, to be traditional and original at the same time, and to show us what we look at but do not see for ourselves sets him apart as an artist of great sensitivity"

William Zimmer of " New York Times" December 16, 1990
"An urban counterpart is "Eight Ave., NYC" by Simon Donikian in which a street of plain facades has an air of Paris."

Simon Donikian - Statement - Gallery Guide, Nov. 1993
"Sometime when I paint, I feel myself very much like a cook, but instead of using salt, pepper, onions, and garlic, my ingredients are color, content, composition, style, etc. And although people do have different tastes, most would agree that too much salt or pepper could ruin a dish."

www.donikian.com

e-mail: donikian@wans.net