Armenia, Artsakh War

 “When the war started, I lost touch with reality,” she reflected one Sunday afternoon from her underground art studio on Boston’s famed Newbury Street. She’s thousands of miles from Armenia, which is now reeling from the loss of far too many young lives and swaths of sacred land after its unequal 45-day war with Azerbaijan and Turkey. “War was something that I shared with others. It wasn’t just for me,” explained Keryan. “For the first time, I felt like I was making something, and I wasn’t the only person experiencing it.”

Almost one week after the war broke out, Keryan released “No time to die”— a reactive piece that exemplified a sense of purpose for all Armenians to take action in the face of this existential threat. That week, Azerbaijan began targeting civilians in Stepanakert, forcing families to seek shelter underground or flee their homes…uncertain when or if they would ever return. A burning crimson piece titled “I just want to be left in peace” followed—an aggrieved reminder of the Armenian experience, wrought by the same oppressive forces inspired by the same masterminds of yore throughout a long, hard history. The meek subjects seem pained; one appears to be crying, as the blood red oil paint folds over his tear duct. “My pieces are very reflective of reality,” described Keryan. “Every single one is based on a very personal thing.”

Full article by Leeza Arakelian on The Armenian Weekly

Drawings for Artsakh Aid