Failing Towards Brilliance is a personal reflection on the emotional and creative challenges of painting my late mother. Inspired by Arshile Gorky’s decade-long struggle with The Artist and His Mother, I document how grief, memory, and perfectionism shaped this project. What began as an attempt to loosen up artistically became a deep reckoning with failure, identity, and love. This piece explores how process, not product, can be the real act of honoring.

A torn rug, stitched back together, became a map for reunion. Marie Khediguian explores the role of Azad Archives in connecting the Armenian diaspora through digital storytelling. Inspired by a century-old rug torn and later reunited by Armenian sisters, she reflects on how art and culture serve as a bridge for dispersed Armenians. Azad Archives, a bilingual platform, preserves Armenian history and amplifies marginalized voices, fostering global connections. Like diaspora newspapers before it, the platform builds solidarity through shared narratives, ensuring Armenian identity endures despite displacement.