Varenka completed a BA degree at the Universities of Stellenbosch and Unisa in 1998, and a BA Fine Art degree at Michaelis, University of Cape Town in 2001. She majored in painting, sculpture, videography and digital arts. During her studies she was commissioned to paint murals/posters for Artscape Theatre in Cape Town, and murals for Astor Hotels in London. She was a founder member of VONK (Art Happening Organisation) in Stellenbosch.
Varenka has worked as an artist since 2002, in which year she was commissioned to paint works for Village & Life, and tutored Nelson Mandela for his Robben Island series.
In 2003 she was a finalist in the Absa Young Artist of the Year Awards in Johannesburg. During that period she participated in an exhibition arranged by the P.J.Olivier Arts School at the Dorpstreet Gallery in Stellenbosch, and exhibited at Art@home in London and Thin Ice Design, Cape Town.
She travelled through Mexico for 5 months before returning to Cape Town to produce her first solo exhibition at the Joao Ferreira Gallery in 2004. She was a finalist in the Sasol New Signatures Competition (2005), before going to Spain where she spent 4 months at Canserat, an artist residency in Barcelona.
Her exhibitions since then include: “An Affair of the Heart” (2004 Brenden Bell Roberts, CT); a group show (2004, Van der Meulen Gallery, CT); “The Unity Series”, a joint exhibition at the World Economic Forum, Davos (2005); “Stukkies”, in conjunction with Cobus van Bosch and JP Meyer (2005 Artspace Gallery, JHB); the “Mohamed” exhibition (2005 Gewerkehalle, Munich); “Anti-fashion: Do you want to…?” group show (La Santa Galeria, Barcelona);“Cultivaria” art festival – solo show (2006, Artspace, Seidelberg, Paarl); a painted a surf board for the surf art charity auction (2006, Wavescape film festival) and “Turn the Table” – art on vinyl (2006, Artspace, JHB).
In 2007 she finished commissioned bronze sculptures for Riboville Restaurant, before working on her solo show and travelling to Mexico with writer/songwriter, Stef Bos, researching for a combined book-project. Varenka opened her most recent solo exhibition in November 2007 in Cape Town and Johannesburg at the Worldart Gallery.In 2008 Varenka produced a portrait for the Muses & Masters exhibition by iart Gallery at The KKNK art festival.