NEWTON, Mass.—With her cancer in remission, Vartus Varadian is turning her frightful experience into a goodwill mission for others with similar disadvantages.
These days, the graphic artist is making spot appearances in places like Merrimack Valley to tell her story of recovery and offer words of wisdom to others facing a similar plight.
A demonstration of Chinese brush art she continues to employ for therapy and enjoyment is part of her itinerary.
Varadian was a student in the Wellness Community where she resides. Her program is called “Facing Cancer Together and Painting.” When the facilitator passed on recently, there was some concern about the future of this program.
Until Varadian put all concerns to rest and took over the operation, thereby putting troubled minds and bodies to rest. Her students have become a panacea of sorts.
She’s organized exhibitions and even gotten involved in shows exhibiting her work through the Newton Art Association.
“Painting has allowed me to escape the turmoil and effects of dealing with cancer,” she says. “The ability to fight is inbred in the fabric of my Armenian heritage.”
With gentle strokes and a discerning eye, Varadian takes a sheet of rice paper and begins to give it life. One moment it’s a hyacinth and another instant a honeysuckle. A daffodil and tulip hold close company with a lichen. All are ablaze with color and appear ready to jump off the page and into a planter.
It takes many years of practice and perseverance to become a master and Varadian is well on her way.
Busy as she’s grown, there’s always time to design yet another calendar for Project SAVE Archives. Varadian worked on this year’s 2014 calendar themed, “Light Before Darkness: Armenians Before the Genocide.”
“Ruth [Thomasian] and I have always kept in touch over the years,” she said of the executive director. “I’ve always believed in preserving our history, and Project SAVE’s mission coincides with my own beliefs.”
Of all the talk surrounding her cancer, nothing made a greater impact than her search for a bone marrow transplant in 2010 that literally took her throughout the world. The effort paid dividends.
Varadian waited two years to find out that her donor, a 45-year-old female, lived in Germany and was of Turkish descent. The two have yet to meet, though the hope remains.
Another connection was made to the Merrimack Valley community. Newly assigned pastor Rev. Stephan Baljian was pleased to learn that his Aunt Rose taught Varadian art lessons, which ultimately led to her degree at Massachusetts College of Art.
Besides painting, Varadian takes on small design jobs within the Armenian community, including the more recent Armenian Heritage Monument on Boston’s Rose Kennedy Greenway.
As for the demo she did for guests at an Avak luncheon at St. Gregory Church in North Andover, it’s in the process of being framed and will take a reverent place on the wall.
Tom Vartabedian
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