Traditional elements shine in Iran's modern art
In an interview with Al-Monitor, Hungarian-Iranian painter Gizella Varga-Sinai talks about her work and her passion for Persian culture.
Gizella Varga-Sinai’s artwork doesn’t simply boast beauty, it recites poetry in volumes. Her “Kallehpaz” — one of the hundreds of paintings reflecting her love of Iran, Persian culture and everyday life — has found a permanent home at the George Pompidou Cultural Center in Paris.
Varga-Sinai has lived in Iran since 1967. Originally Hungarian, her passion for Persian culture probably exceeds most cultured Iranian artists. She speaks Farsi fluently with an elegant and poetic choice of words, yet with a perfect grasp of modern everyday literature.
The artist's newest project is an amazing series of work exhibited in several countries and soon to be unveiled in Tehran. While working on this project, she is also passionately pursuing two other cultural projects. One is a short film for an upcoming festival in Tehran, a project she agreed to do to encourage Iranian youths to pursue the arts. She will also spend some time in the south of Iran to work on an art project about the Persian Gulf.
When asked in a telephone interview with Al-Monitor about young and rising Iranian artists, Varga-Sinai says, “We professional veterans need to work hard to keep up. There are so many promising young artists in today’s Iran. Some of them have this new hobby of meeting up and gathering in art galleries. A large number of upscale modern art galleries have sprung upon the artistic scene of Tehran over the recent year. Most exhibitions open on Fridays, when people are off work and traffic is surmountable. A lot of young artists and art lovers have set this tradition of meeting up at these art galleries. Girls doll up and boys dress impeccably, and they spend their Friday afternoons seeing art and mingling. It’s amazing.”
