Silva Demirjian

Los Angeles, CA

“I may not speak with my voice, but my art and my words still reach people. That makes me feel connected.”

Silva Demirjian is a California-based artist whose work radiates with energy, color, and emotion. As an artist living with cerebral palsy, Silva has found her voice and her rightful place in the art world through her practice at Momentum Creative Studios, where she has been creating since 2002. Silva has built a daily rhythm around artmaking that has become both a personal sanctuary and a source of shared joy with her community.

Silva communicates with the world using an electronic device, which she operates with her head. The device translates her thoughts and feelings into speech, read aloud by a computer voice. This system allows her to share her creative intentions and reflections with those around her.

For much of her early life, Silva was told that art would not be possible for her because of her physical limitations. In college, she recalls, “I was told that I could not do art because I could not really use my hand. My hand often moves involuntarily, so I am unsteady.”

That discouragement was overturned when she joined Momentum. There, specially designed adaptive tools that attach to her left shoe allowed her to paint. “Coming to Momentum allowed me to be creative and take my rightful place at the table,” Silva says. Through these innovations, she has learned to channel her inner passion and spirit into her artwork. “I have learned to use my emotions in my work. If I am sad or happy, I can paint or create, and it helps me.”

Silva’s practice spans both digital media and painting. Her digital work reflects her love of pattern, repetition, and strong graphic forms – producing bold, vibrant images that pulse with rhythm. In contrast, her paintings embrace expressive mark-making, where sweeping movements across large surfaces capture the physicality and intensity of her process. Regardless of medium, Silva’s art is distinguished by its commitment to color, energy, and emotional honesty.

Art, for Silva, is not just an activity- it is a vehicle for freedom. Influenced by the emotional intensity of Vincent van Gogh and the bold inventiveness of Pablo Picasso, she approaches each piece as a chance to transform lived experience into visual form. The force within her artwork often reflects the wellspring of frustration and determination that comes with navigating the world as a disabled artist. Yet her works also radiate joy, resilience, and a profound celebration of life’s complexities. “Making art makes me happy. It gives me freedom and lets me show what is inside me,” Silva shares.

Created entirely by foot, making art for others to see brings Silva great joy, and she relishes the opportunity to share her work with audiences. Momentum has provided her with multiple exhibition opportunities, including group shows that have showcased her evolving body of work. In 2023, her art was featured in The Space Between Us at Adrian’s Place in Santa Monica, California, a moment that marked a significant milestone in her career. “When people see my work in an exhibition, I feel proud. It means they can see me - not just my disability, but me as an artist,” Silva says.

Silva’s titles often come to her easily, a reflection of her natural instinct for storytelling and interpretation. Each work becomes a personal narrative, imbued with layers of feeling that are both universal and deeply individual. For her, art is not about perfection, but about presence, about engaging fully with her emotions and her materials, and then sharing that experience with others. “Art is my way of showing the world who I am. It gives me power. It gives me joy. It is my freedom,” she affirms.