Ariel Agemian, K.S.G.

Early Life & Tragic Beginnings

Born in Brussa, Turkey in 1904, Ariel's early childhood was shattered by the horrors of the Armenian Genocide. At just nine years old, he witnessed the tragic death of his father during the massacres. Separated from his mother and brother, his survival seemed miraculous when he was taken in by Mekhitarist monks, who recognized his bright intellect and transported him safely to Rome, and eventually Venice.

European Master & Renaissance Inspiration

Educated at the prestigious Collegio Armeno Moorat Raphael in Venice until the age of 18, Agemian fully immersed himself in the classical humanities. He graduated from the Venice Academy of Fine Arts with a highly coveted Gold Medal Award from the Associazione Artistica in 1926. He further expanded his intellect by earning a Doctorate in Philosophy from the legendary University of Padua at just 21 years old.

The American Chapter & Spiritual Transmutation

In 1938, the Armenian Catholic community invited Agemian to New York City for an exhibition of 75 selected paintings. Intending to stay for only three months, world history intervened with the outbreak of World War II. Tragically, the vast majority of his lifetime artistic oeuvre from his early decades was left behind and lost in his Paris studio. Settling in Brooklyn, New York, his medium shifted from grand oils to delicate, vibrant pastels and starkly powerful white chalk illustrations drawn out of dark backgrounds. In 1943, he became a citizen and dedicated his talents to the Confraternity of the Precious Blood, painting more than 500 spiritual illustrations for holy volumes.