New Year's Celebration

New Year is a very special holiday in Armenia. There is always a lot of food, drinks, and happy faces. It is the only time when my whole family gathers together around one big table and celebrates. However, two years ago when I was studying in the Netherlands I could not travel back home because of COVID regulations. I felt very homesick that day, and although was able to celebrate with my friends at UWC Maastricht, I still was very sad to miss the important day back home. My first piece of 2021 “New Year’s Celebration” illustrates my family sitting around a full table, however, there is an empty chair in the middle, which highlights my absence. The piece reflects on my feelings during such an important time for me as well as how left out and nostalgic I was.

Anahit Arghushyan is from a small town in Armenia. I grew up in a family of artists and jewel cutters, that's why I love art and rocks. Before coming to Bennington I studied in Maastricht, the Netherlands for two years, which has highly influenced the content of my art, making it very interconnected with my own culture, traditions and identity.