Ever since 1997, Istanbul-Armenian painter and sculptor Erol Sarafyan paints the portraits of numerous past and present senior statesmen of Turkey, Ermenihaber.am reported.

On Saturday, Sarafyan will hold his ninth exhibition, which will take place in an Armenian Church in Istanbul.

Forty paintings will be displayed at the event, reported Haberip website of Turkey.

To note, Erol Sarafyan was awarded a medal by the Vatican for his portrait of Pope John Paul II, and Sarafyan had donated this painting to the Vatican Museums.