I remember attentively watching in silence and in awe, as he magically transformed the empty white canvases before him, into a jaw dropping masterpiece, right before my very eyes- stroke by stroke, with the flick of his wrist and a simple beat up palette knife in hand. When I asked how did he do it , he’d repeated the same foreign phrase I never understood at the time- “chiaroscuro”, the opposition of light against dark.
Mary Tatossian, Armand's sister
Armand Tatossian RCA (1948 or 1951 – August 23, 2012)
Armand Tatossian was a celebrated Canadian landscape painter known for his expressive brushwork, vivid colour palettes, and textured, plein air compositions that captured the beauty of the Canadian landscape and everyday life in Quebec.
Born in Egypt to Armenian parents—either in 1948 or 1951, according to differing sources—Tatossian immigrated to Montreal with his family in 1960. He was part of a multi-generational artistic legacy: his grandfather was both an artist and curator at the Alexandria National Museum, and his father, Charles Garo Tatossian, also became a noted Canadian painter. His great-uncle, Yeghiche Tatossian, was an established artist as well.
Armand Tatossian; Marine
Tatossian began drawing at an early age and pursued a lifelong commitment to the visual arts. He studied under prominent Canadian and European artists, including Serbian sculptor José Majzner, and took instruction from Adam Sherriff Scott, a notable member of the Beaver Hall Group. From 1966 to 1969, he worked closely with Sherriff Scott, assisting in mural restorations and gaining invaluable mentorship. During this period, he also attended art history courses at McGill University. His artistic education continued abroad: in 1970 he trained in mural painting at the Carrera Academy in Italy, studied with Jean Carzou in Paris in 1971, and painted alongside Jean Paul Riopelle in 1975.
In 1973, at just 22 or 25 years old, Armand Tatossian was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (RCA)—becoming the youngest artist ever to receive this distinction. He went on to exhibit widely across North America, Europe, and Asia, earning international acclaim. His works are held in major public collections, including the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the National Gallery of Canada, and the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, as well as in institutions in Greece, Italy, Armenia, and the United States.
Armand Tatossian; Saint-Henri, Montreal
Tatossian was a vital member of the Quebec School of Canadian painting. His style merged elements of impressionism and figuration, characterised by thick, dynamic brushstrokes and a vibrant use of colour inspired by his travels—particularly a formative journey to Greece in 1970. That trip influenced his decision to remove black and white from his palette and to focus on light, shadow, and colour intensity.
Best known for his Canadian landscape paintings, Tatossian also explored Quebec village life, winter scenes, still lifes, and nudes. His subjects ranged from snow-covered streets and frozen ponds to children playing hockey and bustling city corners. He preferred working en plein air, embracing the spontaneous energy of nature.
In addition to his painting career, Tatossian taught at Concordia University and Loyola College in Montreal, sharing his passion for fine art with a new generation of Canadian artists. He passed away in Montreal in 2012, leaving behind a legacy of painterly innovation deeply rooted in Canadian identity and artistic tradition.