Diana Ossana Guerbitchian

Paintings by

"Let the beauty of what you love be what you do" - Rumi

Who Am I?

A lover of life, art, and the vivid spectrum of color, I have painted all my life, starting with watercolors and now working primarily with oils. Growing up in France, my love for color blossomed under the influence of my mother, a woman of timeless elegance and a deep passion for fashion. She taught me from a young age how to blend shades, creating a harmonious interplay of light and texture. It was more than just about color; it was about understanding the beauty of things that grow richer with time. This appreciation for age became a constant theme in my life and, eventually, in my art.

As an artist, I was first drawn to the fluidity of watercolors, but my journey deepened when I moved to the United States, where I lived for five years. There, I studied watercolor and oil painting more formally with William Griffiths at the Worcester Art Museum in Massachusetts. At the same time, I painted with the Cape Cod School of Art in Provincetown, where the raw beauty of nature and the passage of time informed my work. Whether it’s the patina of weathered buildings, the rich texture of ancient fabrics, or the serene maturing of landscapes, the passage of time is always infusing my art with depth and meaning.

My Process

When I paint, age becomes an integral part of the experience. Each brushstroke is woven with the wisdom of years, the complexities of womanhood, and the depth of my spiritual journey. I cannot find many words for it because it feels symbiotic, as if my life - with its cycles and transformations - flows into the canvas. The surface, the brushes, the tubes of paint and I move together, united in a sacred dance. When I step into my studio, I cross a threshold not only into another world, but into an ageless space where time ceases to matter, and I enter a space inhabited by my essence of being.

In that moment, I am simply who I am—a woman, an artist, a soul. It’s this wholeness, forged through the passing of time that makes the act of creation pure magic. In those precious moments, I feel fully alive. Every sense is heightened – the colours become more vivid, the textures more intense - and I feel as though the paint is guiding me, responding to the power of my inner life. I lose control, but it’s a welcome surrender. The momentum builds, and I cannot put the brush down. The movement takes over, and I flow with it, dancing the choreography of life itself. It is a celebration of me, of my womanhood and of my inner journey that continues to unfold through every layer of paint.

Why Zivaya?

I call my art world ZIVAYA because of two profound influences in my life: my Armenian heritage and the transformative journey I experienced traveling through India for six months. Armenia, situated at the crossroads of Eastern Europe, holds a deep cultural reverence for history, age, and the endurance of time. India opened my heart and mind to a completely different world—one that challenged me, inspired me, and turned me upside down. The land of Bharat, with its vast contrasts, wonders, and deep philosophical roots, reshaped my perspective on life and art.

In such ancient cultures as those of Armenia and India, time is seen not just as something that passes, but as something that enriches, transforms, and connects us to deeper truths. In the Hindu tradition, Lord Shiva, one of the most significant deities, is known as the auspicious one, the destroyer of the old to make way for the new, thus paving the way for creation, a perfect symbol for evolution. Interestingly, in Eastern European traditions, there is a deity with a similar essence named Ziva, representing life and vitality. To honor both these strong influences in my life, I created ZIVAYA—a fusion of the Eastern European God "Ziva" and the Sanskrit suffix "ya," meaning "from" or "as a result of."

By signing my paintings ZIVAYA, I imbue each piece with the essence of age, time, and transformation - qualities I’ve come to revere deeply through my Armenian roots and Indian explorations. Each work becomes a gift, filled with auspicious happiness, success, and love. When I paint, I feel a profound sense of fulfillment, as if I am channeling the timeless forces of life and creation into every stroke. Through ZIVAYA, I celebrate not only the beauty of the present but the enduring, ageless spirit that flows through all things.