In Somewhere Over the Rainbow, a black-and-white series, he sublimates his broken heart into landscapes with emotions born in darkness, symbolizing a journey toward the light, from which color later emerges in his subsequent project. From the first work to the last, one can observe the healing process as color comes into Death of a Hero, where the landscapes serve as a refuge from grief.
The series of intricate marker drawings depicting surreal and sometimes haunting landscapes were inspired by the longings of the artist’s broken heart. Phantasmagoric scenes, which render sophisticated abstract sights resembling enchanted forests and turbulent tempests, serve as a projection of the emotional life of Khachiian, whose romantic illusions were shattered by the end of love. As the series progresses, the visual sharpness of the tumultuous scenes gradually becomes calmer and smoother, mirroring the artist finding peace in his heart through the process of prolific artmaking. The drawings are accompanied by a personal photo archive that tells the love story from a different angle, transporting the viewer into the intimate area of someone else’s private life—their memories.