October 18 -31, 2018
Elga Wimmer Gallery Space 526 West 26 th StreeT New York, NY 10001
Safarani Sisters
Twin sisters Farzaneh and Bahareh Safarani (born in Tehran, Iran; 1990) work together in collaboration to create their striking paintings and videos. The two sisters make dramatic compositions of themselves as the subjects to explore to sense of self in relation to the other. The Safarani sisters choose to incorporate themes and symbols in their work. A major theme that the sisters address is one of identity—as twins, as individuals, and as Iranian women. Furthermore, the sisters usually depict interior scenes that serve as a haven for the women, with the walls and empty spaces acting as a barrier between themselves and the outside world. Common features found in these rooms are mirrors and windows with curtains. The mirrors symbolize how the subjects self-reflect and envision themselves in other worlds or realities,while the half- drawn curtains represent how the women hesitate to make full contact with the outside world. However, any breeze or light that comes through the windows represent the hope that the real world is free, peaceful, and safe, like their walls. With their combination of videos and paintings, and themes of identity and beauty, the Safarani sisters explain that through their art, “we are creating a beautiful moment which remains in the mind of the viewer...this moment is temporary—it comes and goes, just as our lives in this world.”