Shushan Egoyan

EGOYAN, Shushan Shushan Egoyan was a vibrant part of so many lives. Through her paintings and her art, through the ways in which she brought spirit and beauty to so many homes, she left something indelible and exquisite. There is no better word than radiant to describe her remarkable energy. Our mother was full of love and happy to share that love with those around her. As an interior designer she was involved with many landmark projects in this city, including work at The Empress Hotel and The Union Club. While these public projects brought her attention, she was never happier than when she was working with individuals and their private spaces. Our mother could transform a room by a simple re-arrangement of furniture, a shift in colour palette, and a brilliant choice of fabrics. She loved the artisans and tradespeople she worked with, and they loved her back. Long after her retirement, so many of the people she worked with remained a huge part of her life. Everyone understood what a unique and focused person she was. Though she could be challenging with her sense of perfectionism, everyone ended up agreeing with her. Her taste, put simply, was impeccable. Her very close friends and neighbours (Gill and Chuck, Kathy and John) cherished her and were there to help her through some very difficult times. Life was not always easy for our mother, and she could not have managed the pressures she was faced with without their amazing support. We are eternally thankful to Steve and Marianne, Patrick, John, Dotter, Mona, Erica, Laura and Eduardo, Diane and Laurence, and her oldest friend and part of the family Vicky Husband. As another friend wrote on her passing "Shushan was so tuned to other people", a gift which made her unbelievably sensitive to other people's needs and dreams. People felt a tremendous sense of intimacy with this wise soul. She brought out the best in all those around her, and we are so thankful to those closest to her in her last years, Alice, Margot, Dr. Darcy Nielsen, and the unbelievably caring staff and workers of Pacific Coast Health Services (Caprice, Hilary, Kelly, Lilliana, Ladyen, Pamela and so many others). Shushan Egoyan was also an accomplished artist, and her work is in permanent collections around the world, from The National Art Gallery of Armenia to The Art Gallery of Victoria, not to mention countless private collections. This spring, she was to be honoured by the Victoria Visual Arts Legacy Society. Her last solo exhibition was at The Winchester Gallery and it completely sold out. She shared her artistic dreams with her husband, Joseph, who predeceased her by three years. They also ran the modern furniture store Ego Interiors, which was a fixture on Antique Row on Fort Street since the early sixties. This space was also one of the first private galleries in Victoria and presented many important local artists. Shushan Egoyan was born in Cairo in 1933 and studied art with the noted artist Ashot Zoryan before moving to Canada with her young family. Her biological father escaped the horrors inflicted on the Armenian people in his native Turkey and raised our mother and her two brothers until his early death. Our grandmother was an extraordinary cook, and our mother inherited this tradition, delighting guests at our home with amazing Armenian dishes that were at that time completely unknown in Victoria. The energy of this extraordinary creative spirit has been passed to her children Atom and Eve and - to her great pride - her two grandchildren, Arshile and Viva. She is also survived by her brother Jirair, many nieces and nephews, and her beloved daughter-in-law Arsinée and son-in-law, David. In lieu of flowers please make any donations to The Art Gallery of Victoria.