Sina Var, Sainte-Therese
Member Since October 2013
Artist Statement Born in 1950 in Cambodia to an impoverished family , Mr. Sina Var is the leading Cambodian artist that emerged from the aftermath of the Cambodian Genocide. Mr. Var studied at the Royal University of Fine Arts and received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1974.
In 1975, the Killing Fields of Cambodia began and Mr. Var was forced into a labor concentration camp by the Khmer Rouges. Due to the constant physical abuse and starvation by the Khmer Rouges, Mr. Var became the lone surviving member of his family from the Khmer Rouge era. Subsequent to the liberation of Cambodia by Vietnam, Mr. Var landed a faculty position with the Royal University of Fine Arts. Mr. Var taught at the university for two years. Determined to find better opportunities abroad, Mr. Var fled to a refugee camp located in Thailand. Eventually Mr. Var emigrated and settled in Quebec, Canada.
Mr. Var arrived in the new land of opportunities with his wife and two children. Mr. Var met his future wife, Ms. Theary Sous, before the fall of Phnom Penh to the Khmer Rouges and were separated during the dark days of encampment. Mr. Var reconnected with Ms. Sous during his tenure at the university and they were married in the early 1980s.
Due to hardships in providing for his family in the new homeland, Mr. Var quit the language courses offered by the Quebec government for newly arrived immigrants and proceeded to find work. With his limited French speaking ability, Mr. Var would eventually get hired at a food processing company. Mr. Var worked long hours in order to support his family. To supplement his income, Mr. Var would take on side projects. He painted on weekends and would sell his artworks to people.
Despite of all the hardships he had encountered, Mr. Var has realized his "dreams". He purchased a house and put his three children through colleges. In 2005, Mr. Var beloved wife was diagnosed with life-threatening disease and suffered a lenghty battle only to pass away in 2009. Mr. Var retired from the food processing industry in 2011. Currently, Mr. Var has returned to his first love, which is painting on a full time basis.
Mr. Var's artworks can be found in a myriad of private art collections both in Canada and abroad. Mr. Var’s life experiences and hardships are reflected in his art and yet they exhibit hope.
Click to save as artist's preferred kit 
