Salpi and Nancy in flight

 I'm Anahit Cass, a multidisciplinary artist using photography, video, sculpture, and other media to tell stories that imagine the future, connect with ancestors, and envision a better world. My work is influenced by my different identities. As a mother, I care deeply about the future world our children will inherit. 

As a descendant of genocide survivors whose Indigenous land is now occupied, my work seeks dialogue with other Indigenous communities around the world who face similar experiences of colonialism and displacement.  No matter where our ancestors were from, they sacrificed and made the way for us to exist in this world, creating a legacy for us of creativity and loving generosity that we can build on. 

Salpi and Nancy in flight float in a surreal landscape of their ancestral indigenous land. The landscape melds the ruins of the ancient past with the mountains and forests that still exist today. Time seems to swirl around them a slipstream of past, present, and future. connecting them to their ancestors, to each other, and to an alternative future of compassion and kindness, with room for all. 

Salpi chose to wear a traditional Armenian carpet vest, and Nancy wears Palestinian tatris.  The carpet is a traditional design from occupied Artsakh, an indigenous Armenian land in the Caucasus, symbolizing both ancient indigenous tradition and the determination to persevere in the face of violence.

They're sharing a traditional drink of brandy to welcome guests. Can you feel their warm connection and loving friendship?  I hope you'll accept their invitation to share a drink and the warm hospitality that can connect us all, no matter who we are.