Mari Gerekmezyan

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

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.

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.

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.

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. 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. Gerekmezyan had sculpted many busts of Eyüboğlu and Eyüboğlu likewise drew many sketches of Gerekmezyan.

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