A solo exhibition by Lydia Dildilian

MSU Union Art Gallery

February 23-April 4 | Reception March 12, 5-7pm, Artist Talk 6pm

As a working artist and visual researcher, I approach image-making as both inspiration and  qualitative inquiry, employing painting, photography, drawing, collage, and installation to examine  the socio-economic systems that shape daily life. The body of work presented in hikâye | story  draws on Ottoman miniature painting and broader visual traditions of Türkiye as a lens for  exploring Middle Eastern and Armenian diasporas, narrative structures, and the abstraction of  natural forms in paintings. These miniature-inspired works embody complex histories of  migration, cultural blending, and storytelling; qualities that resonate deeply with my Armenian  heritage and its diasporic identity.  

After receiving the Middle Eastern Studies Grant, I traveled to Istanbul, Türkiye. The creation  process began with photographing, sketching, and studying illuminated manuscripts and  miniature paintings at institutions such as Topkapı Palace and Istanbul University, while also  training with master artists at Les Art Turcs in traditional miniature painting and paper marbling  techniques. This research investigates how pattern, symmetry, and color function as visual forms  of language, bridging historical craft and contemporary expression. Through this process, I aim to  translate these traditional techniques into a modern context, extending the lineage of miniature  painting into new conversations about belonging, memory, and global cultural identity.  

The large hanging ink drawing, Still Grass under the Tower, is a sumi ink work on traditional  Chinese mulberry paper. The scroll serves as a backdrop within the installation, echoing the Silk  Road trade routes that stretched from Chang’an (modern-day Xi’an, China) to cities along the  Mediterranean coast. The small textured paintings positioned atop the image act as static points  on a map, marking connections across geography and time. Other works in the exhibition  reinterpret elements of Turkish miniature painting and calligraphy, while small travel sketches  hang on the wall as fragments of my journey, collecting texture and color studies from historical  landmarks such as Hagia Sophia, Dolmabahçe Palace, the Basilica Cistern, and the Ephesus  Archaeological Site.  

The acrylic paintings draw on patterns from İznik tile designs and cloud imagery, reflecting the  landscape influences of Persian miniature and Chinese scroll painting. By collecting and  reinterpreting these forms with acrylic paint instead of the traditional opaque watercolor, I explore  how images and ideas travel across cultures and time. These works experiment with material and  process, demonstrating how traditional visual languages can transform into new narratives within  a contemporary context. 

About the Artist:

Lydia Dildilian was born in Mission Viejo, California, and raised through a nomadic upbringing  across the diverse landscapes of the United States. She earned a B.F.A. in Painting and Drawing  from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio (2012) and an M.F.A. in Painting from the University of  Florida, Gainesville (2016).  

Her work has been exhibited across the United States and internationally in Italy, Korea, England,  and China. Dildilian has mounted 16 solo exhibitions and contributed to over 50 group or juried  shows. Notably, in 2024, she participated in an international drawing retrospective at the Czong  Institute for Contemporary Art, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Her hikâye | story project will be  featured in an upcoming solo exhibition at Michigan State University, where she will serve as a  visiting artist and Holland Scholar. Other forthcoming solo exhibitions include the South Arkansas  Arts Center, El Dorado, and the Spiva Art Gallery at Missouri Southern State University. Her work  has received multiple exhibition awards and institutional grants and is held in private collections  across the U.S., as well as featured in publications including New American Painters, Studio  Break, and Dovetail Magazine.  

Currently, Dildilian is an Associate Professor at Arkansas State University, where she leads the  Painting program and teaches painting, drawing, and design foundations. Her practice explores  socio-economic structures, American identity, and the nuances of motherhood. Through  paintings, collages, and installations, she layers imagery drawn from photographs, magazines,  video games, and appropriated sources to construct recursive, experimental spaces that blur and  sharpen perception, engaging viewers in complex dialogues between image, memory, and  meaning.