“Gossip” oil on canvas, 20 x 26.5 inches, Kristin Saleri.
Opening Saturday, February 6, 2016 at the Henry Madden Library in the Leon S. Peters Ellipse Gallery and Pete P. Peters Balcony gallery at Fresno State, will be a retrospective exhibition of artwork by Kristin Saleri1915-2006 (www.kristinsaleri.com), who was a pioneering 20th century artist of Armenian heritage from Istanbul.
Trained in Paris, artist Saleri, also noted as a member of the founding generation of modern art in Turkey, was influenced by Impressionism and used art to convey a message of modern feminism. Her work is filled with images evoking her love of the vast Anatolian landscape and its people, from women in traditional village dances to Bosporus fishermen to laborers in booming post-World War II factories.
Stylistically, Saleri’s work presents a blend of Eastern mysticism and Western Impressionism. Her folkloric themes range from Christian images to whirling devotionals from Mother Earth to the Tree of Life. Her message was one of inclusivity, expressing her deep appreciation for the range of diversity in nature and humanity.
