Mari Gerekmezyan

Mari Gerekmezyan (Armenian: Մարի Կերեքմէզեան; 1913–1947) was one of Turkey's first female sculptors and the first female Armenian sculptor.[1] She was the lover of the famous Turkish poet and painter Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu.[2]

Mari Gerekmezyan
Born	1913 Talas, Kayseri, Ottoman Empire
Died	1947 Istanbul, Turkey
Resting place	Şişli Armenian Cemetery
Nationality	Ottoman Empire Republic of Turkey
Education	Istanbul University Istanbul Fine Arts Academy (guest student)
Partner(s)	Fred Gross
Awards	Ankara Sculpture Exhibit Award (1943) First Place, Ankara State Fine Arts Exhibit (1945)

Life

Mari Gerekmezyan was born in the Talas village in Kayseri, Ottoman Empire.[3] She attended the local Vart Basrig Primary Armenian School.[1] She moved to İstanbul where she attended the Yesayan Armenian School. While studying at Yesayan, Gerekmezyan had the opportunity to meet famed Turkish author Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar. Tanpınar inspired Gerekmezyan to pursue a degree in philosophy. She would go on the study at the University of Istanbul. She would become a guest student at the sculpture department of the Güzel Sanatlar Akademisi (Fine Arts Academy) where Bedri Rahmi Eyüpoğlu was an assistant.[4] She made his bust. At the Academy, she was taught by famed German sculptor Rudolf Belling.[3]

Gerekmezyan was an Art and Armenian language teacher at the Getronagan and Esayan High Schools in Istanbul. She also taught at the Arti Gırtaran Primary school in Istanbul which is still open today.[1]

In 1946 Gerekmezyan caught Tuberculous meningitis. Due to the Second world war which had just ended, medicine was very expensive. Bedri Rahmi sold many of his paintings but was not able to save Gerekmezyan. [4]Gerekmezyan died in 1947 at the age of 35.[2] She is buried in the Sisli Armenian Cemetery.[1]

This is what caused Bedri Rahmi to start drinking. In 1949 when he was reading the Karadut poem at the Büyük Kulüp he broke into tears. Because of this his wife, Eren Eyüpoğlu, left their home and started to live in France. His wife and children would later return to him but his wife never forgot this.[4]

Works

Much of Gerekmezyan's works are missing.[2] Her remaining works are found in the Resim ve Heykel Müzesi (Museum of Painting and Sculpture) in İstanbul and in the Private Collection of the Eyüboğlu Family which includes her famous bust of Bedri Rahmi.[1] Some of Mari Gerekmezyan's most famous works include:[1]

• Bust of Prof. Neşet Ömer (1943)
• Bust of Prof. Şekip Tunç (1943)
• Mask of Patrik Mesrob Tin (1944)
• Bust of Yahya Kemal Beyatlı (1945)
• Bust of Bedri Rahmi Eyübğlu

Awards

Gerekmezyan was awarded the Ankara Sculpture Exhibit Award for her Busts of Professor Neşet Omer and Professor Şekip Tunç in 1943. She earned the First Place Award at the Ankara State Fine Arts Exhibit for her Bust of poet Yahya Kemal Beyatlı in 1945.[1]

Relationship with Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu

While Gerekmezyan was a guest student at the sculpture division of the Güzel Sanatlar Akademisi (Great Arts Academy), she met Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu. Throughout the 1940s, Gerekmezyan assisted Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu in his artwork. The two would eventually fall in love. Their relationship is compared to the likes of Auguste Rodin and Camille Claudel.[5] Gerekmezyan had sculpted many busts of Eyüboğlu and Eyüboğlu likewise drew many sketches of Gerekmezyan.[6] Eyüboğlu wrote his famous poem Karadut (Mulberry) for Mari Gerekmezyan after her death:[3][5][7]

Original Turkish:

Karadut
Karadutum, çatal karam, çingenem
Nar tanem, nur tanem, bir tanem
Ağaç isem dalımsın salkım saçak
Petek isem balımsın ağulum
Günahımsın, vebalimsin.
Dili mercan, dizi mercan, dişi mercan
Yoluna bir can koyduğum
Gökte ararken yerde bulduğum
Karadutum, çatal karam, çingenem
Daha nem olacaktın bir tanem
Gülen ayvam, ağlayan narımsın
Kadınım, kısrağım, karımsın.

English translation:
Mulberry
My black mulberry, my forked darky, my Gypsy,
My grain of pomegranate, my grain of light, my only one;
I am a tree, my limbs, a porch hanging with grapes,
I am a hive, you are my honey, my bitter honey,
My sin, my ague.
Tongue of coral, teeth of coral, thighs of oyster,
I gave you a life, my wife,
My black mulberry, my forked darky, my Gypsy,
What more will you be to me, my odd one, queer one,
My smiling quince, my weeping pomegranate,

My baby, my mare, my wife.

When he first read the poem in public, Eyüboğlu cried.[6] It is believed that Eyüboğlu continued to love Gerekmezyan the rest of his life.[8] The poem would become popular as it was incorporated into Cem Karaca's song Karadut.

Legacy

The Getronagan Armenian High School in Istanbul hosted an exhibition for Mari Gerekmezyan in December 2012, organized by famed Armenian-Turkish photographer Ara Güler.[2]

References

1. "Mari Gerekmezyan". Istanbul Woman's Museum. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
2. Ziflioğlu, Vercihan (December 12, 2012). "Exhibit marks Turkey's first female sculptor". Hurriyet. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
3. HALİS, MÜJGAN (2012-12-09). "Bedri Rahmi'nin 'kara dutu' Mari için sergi". Sabah (in Turkish). Archived from the original on 14 April 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
4. "12 kadın 12 şair 12 hikaye". Habertürk. 29 May 2015.
5. Borekci, Gulenay (December 15, 2012). "Türkiye'nin Camille Claudel'i". Haber Turk (in Turkish). Retrieved 23 May 2013.
6. Dundar, Can. "'Yüzyılın Aşkları' belgeselinde Bedri Rahmi var". Millyet (in Turkish). Retrieved 23 May 2013.
7. "Bedri Rahmi'nin Mari'si bir sergiyle anılıyor". Sabah (in Turkish). Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
8. "Karadutum, çatal karam, çingenem" (in Turkish). Birlesikbasim. Archived from the original on 14 February 2013. Retrieved 23 May 2013.