COLORS OF LIBERTY
by Rosario Teixeira
2009/08 /06 | 13:02
Culture Diaspora
Boston, MA – Colors of Liberty exhibit will be open to the
public at the Massachusetts State House, Doric Hall, from August
31st to September 11th, 2009. The public is invited to join State
Representative Peter Koutoujian, the artist Daniel Varoujan Hejinian,
and other dignitaries at the Doric Hall, Massachusetts State House,
on September 11th, 2009 from 12 noon to 2 pm, when Varoujan will
officially unveil a painting dedicated to the victims of September
11th.
Colors of Liberty is a Peace of Art project sponsored by State
Representative Peter Koutoujian. The exhibit is a collection of
art work created by Daniel Varoujan Hejinian and it expresses the
artist’s vision of America, his adopted country. To see Colors of
Liberty collection please visit
In 1979, Daniel Varoujan Hejinian came to the United States to seek the
freedom to express himself as an artist. He settled in the Boston area
and here he has raised a family. This is the land, where his father,
a survivor of the Armenian Genocide, came to die, where his son was
born, where he has let his imagination soar.
Here, Varoujan has created an impressive body of beautiful and
meaningful art work, from Romantic Expressionist paintings, to
corporate and religious murals in seven Armenian churches. Here he
planted the seeds of a new beginning and a different future. Varoujan
chose to be an American citizen by naturalization. This is a
conscientious process rather foreign to those who were born in
America. We do not choose where we are born, but we choose where to
live and what country to pledge allegiance.
Although the exhibit reflects the artist’s vision, these are images
where we find ourselves and our ancestors, and the hopes and dreams
of generations. In this collection, Varoujan expresses his love for
America. "The American flag is the most beautiful of all flags with an
ingenious and modern design. When the red and white stripes wave in
the wind, I feel its beat as I feel the beat of my heart. The bright
stars on the midnight blue are the guiding light to the promise
land." America is the home of the statue of liberty, a perennial
symbol of our nation and our democracy, holding the torch of liberty
for all nations, welcoming those starved for freedom of expression
and squelched under dictatorial regimes the world over. America is a
country of immigrants. Generation upon generation, immigrants have come
to America to build a better future for themselves and their children.
Amidst hundreds of people pledging allegiance to the flag of the
United States, the final ceremony in becoming a US citizen, Varoujan
was inspired to create Colors of Liberty. "There were people of all
colors, from all corners of the world, from different ethnic groups,
cultures, religions, speaking different languages, and yet together
as one, with one common goal, to be American. This is where I saw the
real face of America, and I was inspired to create Colors of Liberty
collection. That intense desire was renewed in me during the 2008
presidential inauguration marking a new beginning in our history as a
people and a nation."Daniel Varoujan Hejinian is the founder of PEACE
OF ART, Inc., a non-profit educational organization which uses the
universal language of art to bring awareness to the human condition
and to promote peaceful solutions to conflict. For more information
please visit
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
