Bright colours blur into a magical scene, where dream-like hues and softened faces stir nostalgia and mystery. This painting, inspired by a photograph of my grandfather with his children—including my mother—captures the interplay of memory and imagination. Enlarged with magical realism, it conveys the emotional essence of a moment where clarity is elusive but significance reigns.

A child peers into a 1960s barber shop in Alexandria, Egypt—except she was never there. This oil painting explores intergenerational trauma, nostalgia, and Armenian diaspora identity. Inspired by an old photo of my grandfather in his barber shop, I reimagine the scene, inserting myself as a child. The colours are electric and surreal. Blending memory and invention, the work preserves fading histories, transforming grief into resilience while inviting viewers to reflect on heritage, loss, and belonging

Fertility is a violent and bloody affair, far from the gentle femininity often attributed to it. This tension drives Anahid, the first piece in my series reimagining Armenian female goddesses from pre-Christian times.

In Anahid, the Goddess of Fertility holds a melting sun, her hair nourishing the sacred lands of Ararat. A bursting pomegranate symbolizes creation and the inherent violence of life, blending myth and memory.

In Armenian the word for struggle is “կռիւ” which is pronounced exactly like the word Grieve in English. In the depths of the grief of losing my father last November it often felt like I was fighting with the traumatic memories of his last few hours of life.

A response to the work Thérèse by Balthus. I place myself in the pose that Thérèse took in Balthus’ work but with a few key differences.

This painting was inspired while reading the book Remnants by Elyse Semerdjian. My intentions for this painting were to create a new type of classical painting. Like paintings found in churches of biblical scenes, but from a gendered feminist perspective.

Two brothers sit in a familiar space—one that could belong to any Armenian diasporic home. The richly adorned carpet beneath them is more than decoration; it’s a thread connecting them to a homeland that exists beyond geography. While the setting feels timeless, the disposable mask in the hands of one brother marks a specific moment in history, a reminder of a global event that shaped us all. Yet, through time and uncertainty, the carpet—and the culture it represents—remains steadfast.