Artist draws on family history in painting commemorating Armenian genocide

CHICAGO (WLS) -- It happened almost exactly 100 years ago - the systematic extermination of 1.5 million Armenians by the Turkish rulers of the Ottoman Empire. Now, a Chicago artist is remembering that terrible time in a very big way.

In an old Pilsen warehouse now occupied by Mana Art Center, artist Jackie Kazarian is showing us her latest creation, and it's a big one. It's part of her family's story about very dark times in Armenian history.

"It's a large monumental painting called 'Armenia' and it's marked, created to mark the 100th year anniversary of the Armenian genocide when one and a half million Armenian, Assyrians and Greeks were killed," Kazarian said.

It was April 24, 1915, near the beginning of World War I. The Christian Armenians were considered a threat to the new young Turkish leaders of the Ottoman Empire. And in a preview of what would happen in World War II, the genocide began.

"The government of the Ottoman Empire took it upon themselves to rid their country of Armenians, and especially those in Eastern Armenia," Kazarian said.

A million and a half men, women and children were killed. Kazarian doesn't show that in her painting; she takes a much more subtle approach using just names.

"The names are the villages and cities involved in the genocide," Kazarian said.

At 12 feet high and 26 feet wide, this is a huge painting. And you're probably wondering, how did she do it?

First of all, it was hard work. It took five and a half months to complete. And then she invented something she calls the boardwalk.

"The boardwalk was a large plank on wheels that would roll over the canvases while they were on the ground, so I could reach every surface of the painting," Kazarian said.

She said she did it to honor her grandparents who survived the genocide. Now she will travel the world with her painting so everyone remembers.