“As a third-generation Armenian American artist, my work is rooted in the relationship between past and present, home and homeland. During the Armenian Genocide of 1915, all of my great-grandparents fled Yozgat, Gürün, and Harput for the United States. I honor their origins and survival by incorporating Armenian earth pigments into my paintings. These materials physically anchor the work to the lands from which my family was displaced.

Through contemporary art, I explore cultural memory, continuity, and belonging. My practice carries my ancestors’ journeys forward, transforming inherited displacement into tactile representations of land and identity. These works create connections among Armenians in both the homeland and the diaspora while speaking more broadly to experiences of struggle, survival, and, ultimately, freedom. My conceptual bodies of work are ongoing and continue to evolve alongside my understanding of my history and place in the world. My foundation began largely in part with the love and encouragement of my family. My grandfather, Ara DerMarderosian, was an avid painter, scrimshander, jeweler, and musician who eagerly introduced me to folk instruments, oil painting, and a wide range of eclectic maker tools. He possessed a remarkable wealth of knowledge, and few things made him happier than sharing that intellect with me. My mother, Laura Torcomian (DerMarderosian), nurtured my relationship with music in every capacity. Because of her influence, I often describe music as the foundation of my artistic practice. I have played drums/percussion and performed with multiple groups for nearly a decade. Music continues to shape the cycle of my visual practice and the language I use to write about my work. A song is almost always playing while I develop an idea or make a painting; my creative process seldom unfolds in silence. Armenian education also provided an essential foundation. At the Armenian Sisters Academy (ASA) in Radnor, Pennsylvania, we studied under Francesca Torcomian, Armen Yepoyan, and Monique Sarkessian, three prominent artists within the community. There, I encountered the works of contemporary and historically significant Armenian artists while also learning traditional folk dance. This early immersion gave me a cultural and artistic vocabulary that I continue to carry into my artworks today.

I am deeply grateful for the people and communities that have supported my growth. The opportunity to create freely, explore my identity, and collaborate with other artists is both a privilege and a responsibility. Collaboration is therefore present throughout much of my practice, allowing shared histories to enter into conversation. I recognize my position as a visual artist as an opportunity to sustain Armenian cultural expression and raise awareness of genocide, not only as it relates to my family and community, but also as a recurring reality throughout history. I have been fortunate to exhibit my work with a wide range of Armenian institutions and organizations, and giving back to the community remains central to my practice. I hope to honor those who came before me, strengthen connections in the present, and contribute to a cultural legacy that will endure.”

- Adam Torcomian, 2026

New York, NY