Rock, River and Tree
by Mary Melikian
(Painting, 1993, 14" x 17")
St. Bartholomew's Church - N.Y.
 

 
In a sense this entire group is a Requiem for Armenia. The work is based on the Genocide of 1915 when a million-and-a half Armenians perished at the hands of the Ottoman Turks. My paternal grandmother, grand uncle, and uncle along with other relatives were killed. The work entitled "Requiem" is based on remembering the family home city of Kharpert, which was then referred to as part of historic Western Armenia. The other pastels are based on present day Armenia which is in the East. I was there in 2000 and did some sketches based on the landscape. The watercolor entitled "Rock, River, and Tree" is based on a poem by Maya Angelou which points us always toward HOPE.