Painting the Roses Red - Solo Exhibit by Emma Yervandyan

Artist Statement - Emma Yervandyan
In the film American Psycho, Patrick Bateman stares blankly at his reflection in the
mirror as he states, “There is an idea of a Patrick Bateman, some kind of abstraction, but there is
no real me, only an entity, something illusory—I simply am not there.” This famous quote
highlights a theme that I, along with countless artists, writers, and filmmakers, explore in my
work—the idea that the identity we present to others is a performance of a persona rather than a
reflection of one’s authentic self and that perhaps there is no “authentic self” behind the mask at
all. Through my exploration of identity—what it is, how it’s formed, transformed, and
destroyed—I divide my paintings into three categories: a self-portrait series that focuses on more
personal and existential themes, a family series that explores how identity is shaped by family
dynamics and roles, and a series that examines, reinterprets, and/or subverts popular narratives
that center on identity. My painting style, strongly influenced by German Expressionism, is
expressive and direct. I use thick layers of paint, distorted perspective, collage elements such as
stitching, and a lurid palette heavy in yellows and greens. Makeup associated with clowns,
harlequins, and Pierrots are common motifs in my paintings and represent the notion of a guise
or performance. Drawing compositional and thematic inspiration from literature and film, I
create disturbed and theatrical mise-en-scènes, highlighting the suffocating effects and
psychological damage of grappling with one’s self-identity and of performing a fake persona.