Armenian artist Kristin Saleri debuted her artwork in the U.S. in the Fresno State gallery, located in the Henry Madden Library.

In a family effort, her children and grandchildren worked with curators Joyce Kierejczyk and Carol Tikijian to bring this art display to the campus. ­

“In the last 10 years, her children have been cataloging and documenting her works, they are seeking the launch off her career,” Kierejczyk said. ­

According to her website, kristinsaleri.com, she has produced more than 3,000 pieces of art during her long career in Istanbul. Oil paintings were the majority of her work, while she also dabbled with ceramics, glass and charcoal. ­

Saleri, an Armenian woman born in Istanbul, went to Paris to study cubism and abstract art when it was still in its infancy. She went on to have three children who are now honoring the work their mother did and are sharing it with the world. ­

“She is remarkable because she is an Armenian woman who lived in Turkey during the time of the Armenian Genocide and the fact that she created so much work under those circumstances is amazing,” Tikijian said. ­

Her biography also states that she was a feminist who entered a male dominated field, which is significant to Fresno State because it is the first school in the United States to have a Feminist Art’s Program thanks to Judy Chicago. They are two female artists who pushed the boundaries with their passions and have left their mark on the Fresno State campus.

Marci Morrison has been working with the Saleri family for over a year to arrange this first ever gallery presentations of Saleri’s work.

“We are extremely happy to see this large size exhibition here at Fresno State and we hope that students will be able to come and look at the art and that it might inspire them in their own work,” Morrison said. ­

There is also a book of the artist available on her website which features a portfolio of her paintings, reviews, biography and photos.

Saleri’s work will be in the Leon S. Peters Gallery in the Henry Madden Library from until the end of May.

For more information about the artist, visit www.kristinsaleri.com. ­