Life Beyond the Canvas

In this part of Life Beyond the Canvas, I don't want to speak about my father as an artist. I simply want to tell you about him as his daughter.

My father, Ruben Manukyan, had an extraordinary life. His childhood alone deserves to become a movie. He grew up during difficult times, and my grandfather raised his children through war, hardship, and uncertainty. Those experiences shaped my father into the man he became. He carried the values his parents gave him for the rest of his life.

He adored his father and mother. He deeply loved his brother and sisters and was always there to help them whenever they needed him. Family was never just a word to him—it was the center of his life.

He also loved his friends. During the years of war, cold winters, and poverty in Armenia, our home was always full of people. Somehow, even when there was very little, there was always room for one more guest, another meal to share, another evening filled with conversation and laughter. Looking back, I realize that what made our house rich was not money—it was my father's generosity and the joy he brought to everyone around him.

My mother, Gohar, loved him with all her heart. She left behind her own career as a physician and devoted herself to making his life easier, following him wherever his work and art took him. She admired his artistic soul so deeply that she often overlooked everything else. The story of how they met is another beautiful story—one that could easily become a movie of its own.

Sometimes I think my father's life contained enough experiences for ten different people. He lived fully, loved deeply, struggled, created, survived, and inspired. Few people are fortunate enough to experience so much in one lifetime.

As his daughter, I will always be grateful to the United States. This country recognized not only my father's artistic achievements but also the quality of the human being he was. He was granted an extraordinary visa and later became a United States citizen. America welcomed him, and in doing so, gave our family something priceless.

I truly believe that if my father had not come to the United States, he would not have lived as long as he did. We were blessed to meet an extraordinary surgeon, Dr. Danishmand, whose skill saved his life. The remarkable physicians, nurses, and staff at Keck of USC gave us another fifteen years—years filled with dignity, creativity, family, and love. No words can fully express our gratitude for that gift.

As a father, he was strict. Very strict. But there was never a doubt that he loved my sister, Armine, and me with all his heart. Children don't always understand their parents when they are young. It wasn't until later in life that we truly became friends. We had finally reached that beautiful place where we understood each other not only as father and daughter, but as two adults who deeply respected one another.

My only regret is that we had so little time to enjoy that friendship before he left us.

Today, whenever someone becomes excited to tell me a story about my father, whenever a stranger smiles while remembering him, I know exactly what that means. It tells me more than any award or exhibition ever could. It tells me what kind of person he truly was.

As his daughter, Alexandra, I could not be more proud to call Ruben Manukyan my father. His paintings will remain on the walls of galleries and homes, but his greatest masterpiece was the life he lived and the love he gave to the people around him. 

- Alexandra Manukyan (A Daughter’s Memory)