Silhouettes, Erie, PA
My name is Igor Nasibyan and I am a professional silhouette artist with 35 years of experience. Originally born in Baku Azerbaijan, I came to the United States as a refugee in 1993 because Armenians were being persecuted by Azerbaijani nationalist militias. After graduating from the Baku Art School in 1982 with a specialty in portraits, I trained myself as a Silhouette Artist, and have made a career out of it.
Silhouette art, which is defined as a shape and outline against a contrasting background can be expressed in many different mediums, though the most popular is the paper-cut silhouette. The art of cutting silhouettes was popular in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, before photography became available to the general population. I begin my artistic process by observing an individual. Then, using only scissors and black paper, I cut completely freehand a highly detailed silhouette portrait of the subject and adhere it to white poster-board with an oval mat. As a silhouette artist, I truly love my work, and especially enjoy seeing people’s reaction to a completed portrait. I credit my gift to God, who gave me a talent that I now share with others.