Sinaii family lives a better life with art

Sinaii family members have put their artworks on public display in a group exhibition at Tehran’s Rah-e Abrisham (Silk Road) Gallery that opened on December 31.

Farah Osuli and Gizella Varga Sinaii (Sinaii’s wives), daughters Yasmin, Samira, Alma, son Sam, and grandson Masih Parsaii together have put their works on show.

In a press conference held at the gallery, they talked about their motives and their works.

Sculptor Yasmin began to talk about her works at the exhibit and said, “My sculpture is an updated version of my previous solo exhibit that I called ‘Black Angles’. I created it when my sister (Samira) and I were playing in my father’s film ‘Song of Silence’ and I desired to raise the main theme of the film once again in my work.”

Farah next said that the new concept was proposed by the gallery curator and was warmly received. “We hope this would mark the beginning of more group exhibits in Iran and other countries.

“The main point here is that we always work together. If Khosrow made a film on animations, Gizella made the puppets or I made the designs, posters and photos, and my children played in the film.

“All this collaboration helped us reach an artistic atmosphere and achieve a sense of unity,” she said.

She also talked about their joint production with Gizella named “In the World Where I am Living”. The joint artwork is a huge one measuring 3 x 1.5m. Each artist has used motifs and elements from her own country in this work. The painting was previously displayed in Paris, Budapest and Tehran.

Khosrow Sinaii is internationally famous for over a hundred short films, documentaries and features. “In the Alleys of Love”, “Talking with a Shadow” and “Bride of Fire” are among his credits.

He received the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland for his documentary “The Lost Requiem” in 2008.

Khosrow next talked about his concerns for his children and their love of and interest in art. “In some families, all members work to popularize a single member as in the family of Johann Sebastian Bach. I personally disagree with this and would like to see every individual free to choose and blossom.

“One of our main concerns was that our children’s talents should not be overshadowed by their parent’s activities.

“One thing that is important in our lives is that we have never lived aimlessly and always have tried to make our lives full,” he added.

“Art has functioned like mortar in our life cementing all members together and even if something went wrong, an artistic topic was there to bind us together again,” he said.

Iran-based Hungarian artist Gizella talked about Samira’s video installation “Flags of My Two Lands”

“The flags of Iran and Hungary both have green, white and red, but their arrangements are different. This has always occupied Samira so she finally made this installation. She is currently in Hungary, busy making films,” she said.

Gallery director Anahita Qabaian also said that a group exhibit has long been under discussion. “This exhibit features works by several generations and personally, I am pleased that we could provide an opportunity for the artists to speak.”

The exhibit will run until January 18 at the gallery located at 103 Lavasani St. in northern Kamranieh.

Photo: Filmmaker Khosrow Sinaii shoots scenes from an exhibition displaying works of his artist family at Rah-e Abrisham Gallery in Tehran on December 31, 2010. (Mehr/Abolfazl Salmanzadeh)