Ashot Zorian (, ; 1905–June 4, 1970)
was an Ottoman Empire-born
Armenian 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 years of ...
painter and educator. He was known for his
Fauvist 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 (), formerly Cerasus (Ancient Greek: Κερασοῦς, Greek: Κερασούντα), is the provincial capital of Giresun Province in the Black Sea Region of northeastern Turkey, about west of the city of Trabzon.
Etymology
Giresun wa ...
,
Ottoman Empire (now northeastern
Turkey).
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, 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 and the administrative seat for Şebinkarahisar District, Giresun Province in the Black Sea region of northeastern Turkey.
Name
The 6th century Byzantine historian Procopius writes that the Roman general Pompey captu ...
.
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 inside
Villa Medici.
In Rome he studied under
Umberto Coromaldi
Umberto Coromaldi (September 21, 1870 – October 5, 1948) was an Italian painter and educator, active mainly in his native city of Rome.
Biography
Umberto Coromaldi was born on September 21, 1870, in Rome, to parents Luisa and Vincenzo Celli. ...
.
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 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, Egypt (1941);
the
Kalousdian Armenian National School at
Boulaq 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 (in 1948),
Edmond Kiraz
Edmond Kiraz, born Kirazian (25 August 1923 – 11 August 2020) was an Egyptian-born French-Armenian cartoonist and illustrator.
Biography
Born in Cairo of Armenian descent, Kiraz began his career as a political cartoonist at 17 (without arti ...
, Garo Varjabedian, Harmig Ballarian,
Khadiga Riad
Khadiga Riad (; 1914–1981), was an Egyptian painter, sculptor, and jewelry designer. She was the first Egyptian woman to exhibit abstract artwork, and was associated with the surrealist movement. Riad has many variations in the spelling of her ...
, 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, 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.
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, Cairo, Egypt, group exhibition
See also
*
List of Egyptian Armenians
This is a list of notable Egyptian Armenians who have contributed to modern Egypt.
Literature
* Arpiar Arpiarian, writer
* Vahan Malezian, writer
* Yervant Odian, writer
* Hovhannes Setian, writer
* Vahan Tekeyan, poet
* Perch Zeytuntsyan, write ...
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