Armenian artist Rafael Saryan was born in 1960 and showed great artistic promise as a young child in his native country. He began his formal art training in fifth grade and upon graduation from high school, in 1978, entered the Yerevan Academy of Fine Art. Just two years later, his work was chosen as the best among all university students in Armenia, and, in 1981, his artwork won second place among all university students in Moscow.

After his graduation, in 1983, Rafael took a job as an art instructor at one of Armenia’s fine art colleges and began to exhibit his work around Moscow, Leningrad, and America. In 1988, Rafael moved to Los Angeles and has attracted the attention of numerous galleries and corporations, participating in exhibitions in New York, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. His work has also been acquired by both the ABC and CBS television networks.