I acknowledged that starting anew is an integral part of my life, my family’s life and my people’s life overall. We keep losing, moving and creating in a cyclical manner. One thing that can never be taken away is the joy of gathering at a big table with all the traditional dishes, soulful laughter filling the room—no matter how grim life is. There is something very Armenian about keeping the heart wide—սիրտդ լայն պահիր— especially when the whole world seems to be against you, or even worse, ambivalent. Some of the pieces explore the themes of the Last Supper. In Christian art, the Last Supper is very much an iconic image recaptured by artists over and over again. So, now I’m thinking of what happens after—after betrayal, after crucifixion, after resurrection, after ascension.
What Happens After is a new landscape, a new home and new people. A new desire to recreate the village that was left behind. A new table filled with grandmother’s recipes and traditional grilled meats, with new faces eating and toasting, brushing off with laughter the hardships of the past and present. What Happens After’ is a new beginning and a new sense of purpose in each coming day. Read more.
