Peace of Art
Fort Point P.O.Box 52416
Boston, MA 02205
Tel: 617-460-2091
Contact: Rosario Teixeira
A Retrospective of Varoujan’s Art
by Rosario Teixeira
Watertown, MA – A retrospective of Daniel Varoujan Hejinian’s art is
on display now through May 2nd 2010, at the Armenian Library and
Museum of America, Contemporary Art Gallery, 65 Main Street,
Watertown, MA. The public is invited to a reception on April 22nd from
7 pm to 9 pm.
The exhibit documents the most important aspects of Varoujan’s journey
through the years, and it is comprised of Varoujan’s art work in his
unique Expressionist style; it includes pieces from his Peace of Art
collection which conveys a social message; and Colors of Liberty which
conveys his gratitude for his adopted country. Also on display will be
images of the Armenian Genocide commemorative billboards calling for
the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, which he has sponsored
throughout Massachusetts. Varoujan is the founder of Peace of Art,
Inc., a non-profit educational organization, which promotes peaceful
solutions to conflict. He’s known as the painter of saints because he
painted religious murals in seven Armenian churches.
On April 23rd, 2010 Varoujan will be honored at the Massachusetts
State House during the commemoration of the 95th Anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide sponsored by State Representative Peter Koutoujian
and State Senator Steve Tolman, for his contributions to the community
with his art. Since 1996, Daniel Varoujan Hejinian has been the man
behind the Armenian Genocide commemorative billboards. Each year the
simple message calls for recognition of the Armenian Genocide. This
year’s the message states "Yes, We Can Recognize the Armenian
Genocide." One digital billboard has been on display in Foxboro since
early March and on April 6th today another billboard went up in
Watertown. The collection may be viewed at
Varoujan is the son of Armenian Genocide survivors who fled to Syria
during the events that began in April 1915. Growing up, the oral
family history was passed on and the genocide legacy left a deep
imprint on the boy who, at a young age, already expressed his artistic
creativity. "I was born in Aleppo, Syria. My parents were survivors of
the massacres committed by the government of the Young Turks. They
named me Daniel Varoujan, in memory of the great Armenian poet of love
and peace, who was one of the first victims of the Armenian Genocide."
At the age of nineteen, his art work was exhibited at the National
Museum in Aleppo Syria. This solo exhibit would mark a pivotal moment
in Varoujan’s life. Russian dignitaries who attended the event were so
impressed with his art work that they offered him a scholarship to
study art in the prestigious Fine Arts and Drama Institute in Yerevan,
Armenia. Varoujan left Aleppo in 1969 for Soviet Armenia to dedicate
himself to study fine arts, and in 1976 he completed his Master’s
Degree. "As a theme for my dissertation I chose the Armenian
Genocide. The idea for this gigantic work was born in my mind during
my early school years.’
In 1979, he left Soviet Armenia and came to the United States. He left
behind a substantial body of work which became property of the
state. He made Boston his home, where he has raised a family and
continued to paint and develop as an artist. Varoujan’s art work has
been exhibited in many prestigious art galleries throughout the United
States and it is represented in private and corporate collections
around the world. He’s recognized as an international artist, his art
is not confined to country or time. However, Varoujan has remained
close to his Armenian heritage. Varoujan has been honored and has
received several awards for his contributions to the community and for
his artistic achievements.
The exhibit `Varoujan’s Art, a Journey through the Years,’ allows the
viewer to take a glimpse at the artist’s itinerary, how he uses his
talent to make sense of the world, reinvent it, and then propose new
possibilities. Varoujan reveals the best of one’s dreams through his
musical notes and symphonies of color on his canvases. As an artist
he’s timeless, as a man he’s well aware of society’s struggles and
realities. His art work can be viewed at