Mari Gerekmezyan

Mari Gerekmezyan was born in the Talas village in Kayseri, Ottoman Empire. She attended the local Vart Basrig Primary Armenian School. She made his bust. At the academy, she was taught by famed German sculptor Rudolf Belling. Gerekmezyan was an art and Armenian language teacher at the Getronagan Armenian High School and Esayan High Schools in Istanbul. She also taught at the Arti Gırtaran Primary school in Istanbul which is still open today. 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. Gerekmezyan died in 1947 at the age of 35. She is buried in the Sisli Armenian Cemetery. Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu started drinking after her death. In 1949, when he was reading the Karadut poem at the Büyük Kulüp he broke into tears. His wife, Eren Eyüboğlu, left their home and started to live in France. His wife and children would later return to him but his wife never forgot this. ==Works==

Much of Gerekmezyan's works are missing. • 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. ==Relationship with Eyüboğlu==

While Gerekmezyan was a guest student at the sculpture division of Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University (formerly Fine Arts Academy, Istanbul), where she met Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu. Gerekmezyan had sculpted many busts of Eyüboğlu and Eyüboğlu likewise drew many sketches of Gerekmezyan. When he first read the poem in public, Eyüboğlu cried. It is believed that Eyüboğlu continued to love Gerekmezyan the rest of his life. 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. ==References==