Sona Kechi

I’m an Armenian-born visual artist living and working in California.  I learned about photography and art in general from the environment in which I grew up back in Armenia. I took art classes, spent time at my parents’ art library exploring renaissance to modern art, documentary, and wildlife photography, and even started photographing my little sister with our professional Zenit camera at age seven. I still fondly remember our visits to the yearly  Museum Night Festivals in Yerevan city. Ever since, Armenian artists including Aivazovsky, Sureniants, and Parajanov became a few of my favorites. Thanks to my parents who planted a love of art and culture since early childhood.

No matter how bizarre it may sound, I am quite thankful for the experience that I had during the Covid era. Soon, after it, I found the strength and self-motivation to make a career transition, leave the legal field, and start my creative journey. Photography became oxygen for me, a cup of freedom and fresh air. It brings me happiness and joy to create memories for people to cherish for the years to come. Besides photography, I create contemporary art, including hand-painted clothing known as wearable art.  My photography as an art form is deeply connected to these and many other memories.