Ashot Zorian (, ; 1905–June 4, 1970)
was an Ottoman Empire-born
Armenian
Armenian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent
** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...
Egyptian
''Egyptian'' describes something of, from, or related to Egypt.
Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to:
Nations and ethnic groups
* Egyptians, a national group in North Africa
** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of year ...
painter and educator. He was known for his
Fauvist
Fauvism ( ) is a style of painting and an art movement that emerged in France at the beginning of the 20th century. It was the style of (, ''the wild beasts''), a group of modern artists whose works emphasized painterly qualities and strong col ...
figure and still life paintings. He has many variations of his name in English and is also known as Ashot Zoryan, and Ashod Zorian.
Early life
Ashot Zorian was born in 1905 in the coastal town of
Giresun
Giresun () is a city in the Black Sea Region of northeastern Turkey, about west of the city of Trabzon. It is the seat of Giresun Province and Giresun District.[Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...]
(now northeastern
Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
).
Not much is known about his early years and family, his mother's name is unknown; and his father was Apig Zorian, a lawyer.
In 1915, during the start of the
Armenian genocide
The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenians, Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was implemented primarily t ...
, his father was murdered.
His childhood was spent with his sister, living in exile in the mountain town of
Şebinkarahisar
Şebinkarahisar is a town in Giresun Province in the Black Sea region of northeastern Turkey. It is the administrative seat of Şebinkarahisar District. .
There are conflicting stories on exactly what happened in Şebinkarahisar, some say he was enslaved by a Turkish family, others read he was hired to work for a Kurdish family. His name was changed to Huseyin Zorian (or Hussein) during this time period.
In the 1920s he was sent to the Armenian Yesayan Orphanage in Istanbul.
He was one of the Armenian orphans that were awarded a stipend to study abroad in Europe.
Education
He studied at the Armenian National School; Wiener Kunstschule (English: ''Vienna Art School'') in Vienna;
Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma
The Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma is a public tertiary academy of art in Rome, Italy. It was founded in the sixteenth century, but the present institution dates from the time of the unification of Italy and the capture of Rome by the Kingdom ...
in Rome; and the
French Academy in Rome
The French Academy in Rome (, ) is an academy located in the Villa Medici, within the Villa Borghese, on the Pincio (Pincian Hill) in Rome, Italy.
History
The Academy was founded at the Palazzo Capranica in 1666 by Louis XIV under the dire ...
inside
Villa Medici
The Villa Medici () is a sixteenth-century Italian Mannerist villa and an architectural complex with 7-hectare Italian garden, contiguous with the more extensive Borghese gardens, on the Pincian Hill next to Trinità dei Monti in the historic ...
.
In Rome he studied under
Umberto Coromaldi.
Career
In September 1929, Zorian moved to Alexandria, Egypt where his uncle was living.
He participated in the annual salon exhibitions in Alexandria, and in Cairo, Egypt.
In May 1932, he was awarded a bronze medal at the 3rd salon of Alexandria.
In 1941, during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
and after the Nazis bombed British military bases Alexandria; Zorian and his uncle fled to Cairo.
His painting “The Resurrection of Christ” (1944) is located in an Armenian Orthodox Church in Cairo.
Zorian taught painting at the Boghosian Armenian National School (or Boghossian Armenian National School) in
Alexandria
Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...
, Egypt (1941);
the
Kalousdian Armenian National School at
Boulaq
Boulaq ( from "guard, customs post"), is a district of Cairo, in Egypt. It neighbours Downtown Cairo, Azbakeya, and the River Nile.
History
The westward shift of the Nile, especially between 1050 and 1350, made land available on its eastern ...
in Cairo, Egypt (1941 to 1952); and in private lessons from his studio in Cairo, Egypt (1952 to 1968). His former students included Queen
Farida of Egypt
Farida (born Safinaz Zulficar 5 September 1921 – 16 October 1988) was the queen of Egypt for nearly eleven years as the first wife of King Farouk. She was the first queen of Egypt since Cleopatra to have left seclusion and played a public r ...
(in 1948),
, Garo Varjabedian, Harmig Ballarian,
Khadiga Riad, Nora Ipekian, Eliz Partam,
Joseph Egoyan,
Shushan Deuletian-Egoyan,
Rose Papazian,
Chant Avedissian, Vahé Varjabedian, Laila Ezzat,
Mervat Refaat, and Herant Antranikian.
Zorian had been separated from his sisters when he was sent to the orphanage and they were able to reunite in the late 1960s in
Worcester
Worcester may refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England
** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament
* Worcester Park, London, Engl ...
, Massachusetts.
His sisters helped him prepare the legal paperwork in the Soviet Union in order to donate some 100+ paintings to the National Gallery of Armenia after his death.
He died on June 4, 1970, in Cairo. His work is part of the collection at the
National Gallery of Armenia
The National Gallery of Armenia (, ) is the largest art museum in Armenia. Located on Yerevan's Republic Square, Yerevan, Republic Square, the museum has one of the most prominent locations in the Armenian capital. The NGA houses significant colle ...
.
Exhibitions
* 1929, Biennale of Circolo Artistico (English: ''Artistic Club''), Rome, Italy
* 1929–after 1932, Annual Salon Exhibitions, Alexandria, Egypt
* After 1941–?, Annual Salon Exhibitions, Cairo, Egypt
* 1939, Galerie Grégoire, Alexandria, Egypt, solo show
* 1942, Hotel Continental, Cairo, Egypt, solo show
* 1944, Société Orientale de publicité, Cairo, Egypt, solo show
* 1948, Gallery A.D.A.M., Cairo, Egypt, solo show
* 1952, winter Salon of Paris, France
* 1955, 1st Alexandria Biennale, Alexandria, Egypt
* 1957, Alexandria Biennale, Alexandria, Egypt
* 1969, French Cultural Center, Cairo, Egypt, solo show
* 2009, Byuzand Gojamanyan’s 100th anniversary, El Hanager Art Center of
Cairo Opera House
The Cairo Opera House (, ''Dār el-Opera el-Masreyya''; literally "Egyptian Opera House"), part of Cairo's National Cultural Centre, is the main performing arts venue in the Egyptian capital. Home to most of Egypt's finest musical groups, it is ...
, Cairo, Egypt, group exhibition
See also
*
List of Egyptian Armenians
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zorian, Ashod
1905 births
1970 deaths
People from Giresun
People from Şebinkarahisar
Artists from Alexandria
Artists from Cairo
People from the Ottoman Empire of Armenian descent
Egyptian people of Armenian descent
Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma alumni
20th-century Armenian painters