World of Grief
Sam Keshishian
This collection of my work is my own reflection on experiences with grief and the many different ways I perceive these processes we can all go through. In particular most of the basis for my work stems from the loss of my father at age 10, since this period of my life grief has had a very active role in shaping who I am, for better or for worse. Being able to work through and overcome difficult emotions is crucial for developing as a person, I almost lost myself many times. I want to tell my own story in hopes of connecting with others who have experienced the same pain, and let them know that it only makes them stronger. After seeing my work I hope that people will come away knowing that grief is not a burden, but a journey. Despite the objects or people lost, letting your spirit break is not a viable choice.
When it comes to process I prefer to communicate my images through self created characters who can tell my story for me and connect to the audience I am relaying this message to. Texture and intricate environments are a really big part of my work, the more detailed a piece is for me the more lucid it becomes. I love color and precision so my materials consist of: ink, pen, water color, gouache, pastel and marker.
SAM KESHISHIAN is a second-year senior visual arts major at Interlochen Arts Academy. He is from Bozeman, Montana, and has worked to address his combined interests in both storytelling and the arts. He received a Gold Portfolio award and two Gold Keys in the 2017 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Next year he will be attending Parsons School of Design in New York to continue his artistic path. Sam's piece "Page 42" also graces the cover of this issue of The Interlochen Review.