Armenian American artist Lusine Saakyan weaves history into art

Lusine Saakyan is a self-taught Armenian American artist whose work probes resilience, culture and ancestry. Born in Armenia, with roots from Mush and Nakhichevan, Saakyan immigrated to the United States in 1991. With a background in education and law, she turned to art later in life and uses it to express healing and connection to her culture. 

Saakyan’s artistic journey began with oil painting, but she soon found her passion through acrylic. Her early works incorporated nature, pomegranates, trees and color. She allows the work to develop organically, following where the medium and her emotions lead her. Art became her haven and a means of expressing feelings that words could not always convey. 

Her artistic practice has since evolved into an exploration of Armenian history and identity. Saakyan credits Armenian historian and author Artak Movsesyan as one of her inspirations. Through Movsesyan’s extensive research into Armenia’s ancient history, she began looking beyond the traditions she had known growing up. This led her to delve into the deep roots of her people. 

“I knew about being Armenian, knew the foods and the dances, about the Armenian Genocide, but didn’t know the history of my people,” said Saakyan. 

That discovery ignited her work. Through research, she began tracing connections between ancient Armenian petroglyphs, rug motifs, jewelry, dance and other forms of cultural expression. She became fascinated by the petroglyphs of Syunik and the possibility of viewing Armenian rug motifs as a continuation of ancient visual communication, a kind of memory that was carved through the generations. 

Advertisement

Her exhibition, “Petroglyphs of Syunik,” at Glendale’s Glenmark Hotel earlier this summer, marked an important stage in her artistic exploration. Her work expanded upon these themes through the study of Armenian rug motifs, influenced in part by Armenian “Rug Wizard,” Hratch Kozibeyokian. This led Saakyan to explore what she calls the “interconnections” between Armenia’s ancient visual traditions and the cultural expressions that survived through centuries of displacement, migration and genocide. 

Through her work, Saakyan hopes to bring ancient Armenian history into conversation, engaging viewers to ponder the ways cultural memory survives and evolves. 

At the heart of Saakyan’s art is a message of resilience. Armenian history is not simply a record of the past; it is a living legacy, woven by generations of people who endured unimaginable hardships but still preserved their identity, art, traditions and culture.

“The culture was important, and carried with the people to other lands,” said Saakyan, a mother of two. Her goal is to share that history with audiences, particularly younger generations, so they can develop a deeper appreciation for the richness of Armenian culture.

Jewelry has become another important element of Saakyan’s artistic vocabulary. Inspired by the Armenian tradition of silver jewelry and the stories within cultural objects, she creates her own jewelry incorporating Armenian themes. She sees jewelry as a bridge between people: an object that sparks curiosity and generates an opportunity to tell a story. 

Her future projects continue to build upon these connections. Saakyan envisions creating jewelry inspired by ancient Armenian petroglyphs and rug motifs, merging visual art, history and cultural heritage. Armenian dance has also entered her artistic exploration. Inspired by Hasmik Harutyunyan (an Armenian folklore musician) and Lernazang (a traditional Armenian dance group), she began studying the Armenian Shourchbar and discovered that the movements carry meaning. 

Saakyan’s passion for art extends far beyond her own practice. She has participated in six exhibitions, completed commissioned works, taught children about art, and encouraged young people to appreciate and understand Armenian artists and cultural traditions. As an educator, she views art as a powerful tool to connect younger generations with their roots. 

For Saakyan, being Armenian is both a source of pride and a responsibility to preserve, communicate and explore a cultural inheritance. 

“It’s one thing to be a proud Armenian, but to stay one is heroic. I want to be heroic and continue to create with the medium of art, to communicate and meet like-minded individuals who embrace our culture,” she said. 

Through storytelling, education, intensive research, jewelry and painting, Lusine Saakyan continues to create a visual dialogue between the past and the present. Her work is a summons to remember, to recognize the immense visions and resilience of a people whose cultural memory has survived across thousands of years. 

“Before anything, we are Armenian,” she said. 

Follow Lusine Saakyan on Instagram and Facebook, or visit her website to learn about her work.