When constructing my work, I utilize traditional techniques (i.e. drawing or painting) in combination with digital techniques to incorporate photographs into my work—images I feel would not be done justice through representation by any other means. I feel it necessary to depict both a remnant of truth and history in my work, which is why I consider the photographic components the scaffolding of my art, supporting and harmonizing with the embellishments and distortions I have digitally or physically incorporated. The subject matter integrated into my prints is inspired from the personal history of my family; a number of pieces I have assembled include remnants of photographs and themes stemming from familial accounts concerning the genocide of the Armenian people at the dawn of the twentieth century, a moment in history marred by the senseless political extermination of countless innocent lives. Many of the portrait photographs I have integrated into my work have been obscured and/or distorted—the individuals in these pictures lose all unique characteristics and identity; the universal theme of genocide is to ignore or remove the personal identity of individuals and exterminate them based on a single attribute. The photographic elements emphasize the idea of the lost or forgotten being—the individual that was once there, but is now gone—the ghost. Although my subject matter stems from quite personal origins, it is not my objective to simply portray or narrate my family’s own personal background, or dictate a political or historical statement about a specific group of people. I want my work to communicate universally, relating to others regardless of their personal histories. For me, these pieces serve as a component of my family’s history that was lost or taken away, but it is my hope that these masked figures can become assimilated into anyone’s personal history or background, whether it is through familial accounts, or personal feelings of lost identity. All histories share similar aspects, and hopefully my artwork can create the basis for a communication between these infinitely diverse backgrounds. I am hoping to further develop and expand this idea of historical similarity and apply this notion in assembling work that entwines different modern cultures. At a point in history where American culture distances itself from others behind the guise of international security, I am hoping to utilize my artwork to elicit critical thought concerning the connectivity between all cultures worldwide. At the heart of matter, we are simply people connected to people—I am hoping to evolve my artistic abilities to responsibly convey this message of historical connectivity through my work.