Claremont High School sophomores Xin Lu and Ile Joy Cheng recently earned high honors in the California Department of Education Armenian Legislative Caucus Foundation’s visual art contest.

Xin won first place and a $1,000 prize, while Ile Joy earned third place and a $500 prize. Their artwork highlighted the humanitarian and refugee crisis caused by the Azerbaijani blockade of the Republic of Artsakh, capturing the individual and collective impacts on the Armenian community.

Xin’s piece depicted the blockade’s effects on Armenians’ daily lives, emphasizing the struggles for necessities like medicine and food. “I wanted to show how each individual is impacted and how collectively they experience this crisis,” she told CUSD Celebrates.

Ile Joy’s “Sisters of Sorrow” portrayed two sisters holding hands, symbolizing families torn apart by the genocide, with intricate Armenian designs representing cultural heritage. “I wanted to convey the impact of the Armenian genocide on the people and bring awareness to this under-discussed topic,” Cheng said.

The accolades are a first for Claremont High School, marking the first time two students have placed in the competition in the same year.