Muriel Ahmarani Jaouich: An Archaeology of Echoes

We came to transmit the

shimmering

from which we came; to name it.

—Etel Adnan, from Surge, 2019

Healing is an intergenerational undertaking in the paintings of Muriel Ahmarani Jaouich. As a third-generation member of the Armenian diaspora, Ahmarani Jaouich’s work reflects her family’s history of exile following the Armenian Genocide. Traces remain from her family’s journeys from the Ottoman Empire through Egypt and Lebanon, and lastly to Montreal.

Ahmarani Jaouich’s layered compositions draw inspiration from vintage family photographs, archival images and oral histories. A rich visual language comprised of repeating symbols—such as snakes, eyes, and the fez, symbolizing Ottoman rule—appear across paintings. The artist’s use of rich washes of pure colour reflects her pride in her familial histories, and her desire to use beauty to celebrate their courage and strength. The artist reconstructs a world she could only access through memory and family lore, grappling with grief while celebrating what remains. What we encounter is a deeply personal account of one family’s resilience, inviting us to reflect on our own responsibilities to those who must live in exile.

A note about the Armenian Genocide

Up to 1.5 million people died during the Armenian Genocide (1915-1923), and countless more were exiled from large swathes of their historic homeland, the Armenian Highlands. The intergenerational experiences of Armenians in exile are complicated by genocide denial, and the community trauma that comes with this erasure. The Armenian Genocide is only recognized by 34 nations. This includes Canada, who recognized the Genocide in 1996. For more information, visit https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/the-armenian-genocide-1915-16-overview

^{Image Caption: Muriel Ahmarani Jaouich, Listening to Shadows, 2025, oil on canvas, 72 x 48 in. Image courtesy the artist and Patel Brown.}

Curated by Emily McKibbon

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About the Artist: Muriel Ahmarani Jaouich

Muriel Ahmarani Jaouich is a Canadian artist of Armenian, Egyptian, and Lebanese descent, exploring themes of genealogy, intergenerational trauma, and historical violence through her paintings. Her work is deeply rooted in her family’s history of diaspora, immigration, and genocide, drawing from oral histories, photographic archives, and inherited objects. Ahmarani Jaouich transforms these sources into narratives that blend memory with imagination, resonating with ancestral grief. Her practice advocates for a continual process of listening, believing that addressing ancestral grief liberates present and future generations. 

Currently residing on the unceded indigenous lands of Tiohtià:ke / Montreal, QC, Canada, on Kanien’kehà:ka Peoples territory, she has received recognition through the Lilian Vineberg Scholarship, Merit Scholarship, and Tom Hopkins Memorial Award. Her artworks have been exhibited at Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Patel Brown, CLARK Center, articule, Printemps du MAC and Arsenal New York. Ahmarani Jaouich’s paintings are held in corporate collections, including Hydro-Québec, RBC, Scotiabank, as well as in private collections in New York, Los Angeles, Prague, Barcelona, Milan, Toronto, and Montreal. Ahmarani Jaouich is represented by Patel Brown.