Sugi (Sept 19, 2005 – February 8, 2021)

Sugi (Sept 19, 2005 – February 8, 2021)

Beloved canine companion and collaborator Sugi died at age 15, in Vancouver. Sugi succumbed to heart failure from a seizure in the early morning of February 8. He was at home surrounded by his family.

Sugi was a sensitive and affectionate soul, and fiercely loyal. He loved walks and hikes in the forest and had a highly refined scent tracking ability. He loved coming across people he knew in unexpected places. In his early life, he was a wonderful little brother and playmate for Tom. They’d play and curl up on a comfy chair together. Sugi had a soft spot for my human collaborator Simon Overstall and would love to greet him at the door when Simon would come over to work on a project.

I owe my Animal Lover practice to Sugi. He was always enthusiastic about collaborating on the early projects with Tom:  Bikeride, Aria, Wait, and Screen Test – Sugi, the Tom and Sugi Climate Emergency Blog, and his Twitter feed (with Tom) @Tom_and_Sugi.  Sugi retired from his art career in 2010, but continued to be a strong influence and inspiration in my research and practice. In 2020, Sugi and I developed a listening walk practice that inspired my recent work with birds and trees. In the studio, he loved to curl up and sleep on his bed behind my chair while I worked. He had an uncanny ability to communicate with me through thought alone, especially when it was meal time or walk time. Sugi’s gentle yet intense presence is deeply missed.