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MARKING THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE, ARTIST FORGES PATH TO FORGIVE WITH PAINTING
DNAinfo
April 17 2015
By Stephanie Lulay
PILSEN -- Growing up in Lake Bluff, there was a sadness that hung
over artist Jackie Kazarian's family.
"It was just always about sadness," she said reflecting on her
Armenian heritage.
For the last decade, the Logan Square artist has been on a path to
change that sadness. To forgive.
As Armenians everywhere commemorate the 100th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide, Kazarian's "Armenia," a massive painting that
celebrates the Armenian culture, opens with a reception from 6-9 p.m.
Friday at Mana Contemporary in Pilsen. At 4 p.m. Sunday, the artist
is scheduled to talk about the painting at the gallery.
Kazarian's passion project, a tribute to her four grandparents who
were survivors of the genocide of historic Armenia, has been two years
in the making. The region her family descended from is now known as
Eastern Turkey.
Left portrait: Artist Jackie Kazarian's grandmother Elmas Shahinian
Bogosian; Right portrait: Kazarian's grandmother, Mariam Betlezian
Kazarian, as a child, standing on the left View Full Caption Jackie
Kazarian
"This has been a personal journey for me. When I knew the anniversary
was approaching, I started thinking about my childhood as an
Armenian-American and what that meant," said the 56-year-old artist.
Beginning in 1915, an estimated 1.5 million Armenians died at the
hands of the Ottoman Turks, along with many other ethnic minorities.
Today, the Turkish government denies their was ever a plan to
systematically wipe out the Armenian population, arguing instead that
the atrocities were wartime acts.
Both of Kazarian's grandmothers ended up in orphanages after most
of their families were killed, she said, and eventually all of her
grandparents fled their homeland before World War I, immigrating to
the United States.
As she spent time researching the culture in the Armenia Library
in Watertown, Mass. and at the Regenstein Library at University in
Chicago, combing over original texts, the idea of forgiveness dwelled
in her mind, Kazarian said.
"Growing up, my parents refused to go to Turkey. I'm the only one who's
ever been back to [historic] Armenia, saw relatives in Istanbul --
we really came from an area that is in Turkey," she said. "That was 10
year ago, and even then, I knew that I wanted to bring some closure."
Kazarian said that sadness manifested as anger in her father, who
would go into a rage about the genocide. But it was something her
grandmother said in her 80s, when she asked to paint her portrait,
that made Kazarian understand the family's sadness.
Stephanie Lulay says the project was very personal for Kazarian:
"She told me that she was afraid that if someone knew [or thought]
she could afford to have a portrait they would come and take all
of her things away," she said. "This was a real big fear for her,
and it was really shocking."
The sadness has been passed down generations, she said.
"I thought a lot about how I could release the sadness so it couldn't
be passed down beyond me, to my children," Kazarian said.
The 11.5 by 26-foot painting, which Kazarian has worked on since
October, is the exact same dimensions as Pablo Picasso's famous
painting "Guernica," an anguished response to Francisco Franco's
aerial bombing of defenseless civilians in Spain.
"People know what happened in Guernica because of that painting,"
Kazarian said.
"Armenia" includes depictions of ancient churches, maps, and motifs
from illuminated manuscripts. The names of communities that suffered
in the genocide are also depicted and are written in both Armenian
and English.
At the base of the painting are two open hands, a nod to Kazarian's
grandmother, whose needle lace is also included in the work.
Now that the painting is finished, Kazarian said the intended target
of her forgiveness has changed.
"It's funny because who am I forgiving? Am I forgiving on behalf of my
grandparents? No I can't do that. Do I forgive the Turkish government
for denying it?" she asked. "I think I forgive people. People who
allowed the history and events to be forgotten and lost and not
believed. I forgive those people."
The painting will remain on display through May 29 at the Pilsen
gallery, 2233 S. Throop St. The gallery is open Friday, Saturday and
Sunday Noon-5 p.m.
After the Chicago show, Kazarian plans to exhibit Armenia in
communities across the United States and the world.
http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20150417/pilsen/marking-armenian-genocide-artist-forges-path-forgive-with-painting
DNAinfo
April 17 2015
By Stephanie Lulay
PILSEN -- Growing up in Lake Bluff, there was a sadness that hung
over artist Jackie Kazarian's family.
"It was just always about sadness," she said reflecting on her
Armenian heritage.
For the last decade, the Logan Square artist has been on a path to
change that sadness. To forgive.
As Armenians everywhere commemorate the 100th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide, Kazarian's "Armenia," a massive painting that
celebrates the Armenian culture, opens with a reception from 6-9 p.m.
Friday at Mana Contemporary in Pilsen. At 4 p.m. Sunday, the artist
is scheduled to talk about the painting at the gallery.
Kazarian's passion project, a tribute to her four grandparents who
were survivors of the genocide of historic Armenia, has been two years
in the making. The region her family descended from is now known as
Eastern Turkey.
Left portrait: Artist Jackie Kazarian's grandmother Elmas Shahinian
Bogosian; Right portrait: Kazarian's grandmother, Mariam Betlezian
Kazarian, as a child, standing on the left View Full Caption Jackie
Kazarian
"This has been a personal journey for me. When I knew the anniversary
was approaching, I started thinking about my childhood as an
Armenian-American and what that meant," said the 56-year-old artist.
Beginning in 1915, an estimated 1.5 million Armenians died at the
hands of the Ottoman Turks, along with many other ethnic minorities.
Today, the Turkish government denies their was ever a plan to
systematically wipe out the Armenian population, arguing instead that
the atrocities were wartime acts.
Both of Kazarian's grandmothers ended up in orphanages after most
of their families were killed, she said, and eventually all of her
grandparents fled their homeland before World War I, immigrating to
the United States.
As she spent time researching the culture in the Armenia Library
in Watertown, Mass. and at the Regenstein Library at University in
Chicago, combing over original texts, the idea of forgiveness dwelled
in her mind, Kazarian said.
"Growing up, my parents refused to go to Turkey. I'm the only one who's
ever been back to [historic] Armenia, saw relatives in Istanbul --
we really came from an area that is in Turkey," she said. "That was 10
year ago, and even then, I knew that I wanted to bring some closure."
Kazarian said that sadness manifested as anger in her father, who
would go into a rage about the genocide. But it was something her
grandmother said in her 80s, when she asked to paint her portrait,
that made Kazarian understand the family's sadness.
Stephanie Lulay says the project was very personal for Kazarian:
"She told me that she was afraid that if someone knew [or thought]
she could afford to have a portrait they would come and take all
of her things away," she said. "This was a real big fear for her,
and it was really shocking."
The sadness has been passed down generations, she said.
"I thought a lot about how I could release the sadness so it couldn't
be passed down beyond me, to my children," Kazarian said.
The 11.5 by 26-foot painting, which Kazarian has worked on since
October, is the exact same dimensions as Pablo Picasso's famous
painting "Guernica," an anguished response to Francisco Franco's
aerial bombing of defenseless civilians in Spain.
"People know what happened in Guernica because of that painting,"
Kazarian said.
"Armenia" includes depictions of ancient churches, maps, and motifs
from illuminated manuscripts. The names of communities that suffered
in the genocide are also depicted and are written in both Armenian
and English.
At the base of the painting are two open hands, a nod to Kazarian's
grandmother, whose needle lace is also included in the work.
Now that the painting is finished, Kazarian said the intended target
of her forgiveness has changed.
"It's funny because who am I forgiving? Am I forgiving on behalf of my
grandparents? No I can't do that. Do I forgive the Turkish government
for denying it?" she asked. "I think I forgive people. People who
allowed the history and events to be forgotten and lost and not
believed. I forgive those people."
The painting will remain on display through May 29 at the Pilsen
gallery, 2233 S. Throop St. The gallery is open Friday, Saturday and
Sunday Noon-5 p.m.
After the Chicago show, Kazarian plans to exhibit Armenia in
communities across the United States and the world.
http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20150417/pilsen/marking-armenian-genocide-artist-forges-path-forgive-with-painting