Watercolors by sculptor Sanati on display at Tehran gallery

A selection of portraits, landscapes, animals and still life obtained by five Iranian collectors were put on display at the exhibition, which opened Friday.

Born in 1916 in Kerman, Sanati studied at the Kamalolmolk School where master painters Abolhassan Sediqi, Ali-Mohammad Heydarian, Hossein Khan Sheikhi, and Ali Rokhsar taught him.

Writer and researcher Hadi Seif along with Sanati’s children Ali-Mohammad, Mahmud and Maryam took part in the opening ceremony.

Seif, who has penned three books on Sanati, including “Spirit of Love”, and “Chandelier in Darkness”, first talked about Sanati’s character, “The master is praiseworthy in his creations but I have actually emphasized his morals rather than his works in my book. He used to say that his poverty is his pride.”

Sanati lost his father at an early age and his mother was forced to send him to an orphanage. His talent for painting was evident in childhood, and the director of the orphanage sent him to Tehran to continue his studies.

Seif next referred to the inappropriate condition where Sanati’s works are being kept at the museum in Tehran located on Imam Khomeini Square (Tupkhaneh) and added, “We will not have a second Sanati, and preserving his creations is a national duty.”

Maryam Sanati also expressed her thanks to the gallery’s owner who had arranged the exhibit in honor of their recently deceased mother Soghra Saeida, and said, “My mother had great influence in my father’s life.”

She then referred to the works on display and said, “My father liked to paint images of those he was quite impressed by, it could either be a baker or (Thomas) Edison!”

“My father’s works are his words and I hope those who like this type of artwork will get the chance to visit them,” she added.

Creations by Sanati consist of over 1000 paintings and 400 sculptures, some of which are kept in Tehran and some remain in Kerman.

Former President Mohammad Khatami awarded Ali-Akbar Sanati an honorary degree in art for his 60 years of dedicated service.

Sanati died in Tehran on April 2. He was 90 years old.

Photo: Art enthusiasts visit an exhibition of watercolor paintings by Ali-Akbar Sanati at the Sareban Gallery in Tehran on March 4, 2011. (Photo by the Sareban Gallery)