Art in the Family

A family that paints together has fun together and can hold joint shows, as Farshid Razavi and his wife Parissa Daie recently did in Toronto.

Farshid Razavi

Farshid describes his interest in art. "I had an artistic background from my family. My brother suggested that I paint and I did. I started with an art master named Idene Aydin about fifteen or sixteen years ago. Very soon I realized that I loved art." He adds, "My family is mostly musicians. I play a traditional Persian instrument called a sitar, not very professionally. My brother is a master in calligraphy." Farshid completed an art show at Blake House, in downtown Toronto.

Snow on Leaves by Farshid Razavi
Title: Snow on Leaves
Artist: Farshid Razavi
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Dimensions: 120 x 90 cm
Image Courtesy: Farshid Razavi

He paints acrylics, watercolors and oil on canvas. Farshid discussed one of his acrylics. "Snow on Leaves was painted after I moved to Canada. I feel my style has changed from what I painted back in Iran. I can see more colors, and the Canadian atmosphere, which is not found in my country Iran. This work talks about Canada directly." Farshid's favorite subject matter is found in Snow on Leaves. He enjoys the natural beauty of Canada and this has impacted his chosen subjects.

Light and Shadows by Farshid Razavi
Title: Light and Shadows
Artist: Farshid Razavi
Medium: Oil on Canvas
Dimensions: 100 x 80 cm
Image Courtesy: Farshid Razavi

"I have always been interested in the play of light and shadows. This particular painting is the best example among my works that reflects light and shadows. One can see very sharp light and the entire composition is made via light and shadows. The subjects are very ordinary everyday things. A chair, a ruler, its the creation of the light and shadows which is nice."

He adds, "Light and Shadows is not my usual subject but reflects another interest of mine in my art. It was painted in Iran."

"In Iran I lived in Tehran, a city with a population that is close to fifteen million. Living there, one can hardly see any trees and very few parks. There is a huge difference in Canada with its many parks. The backyard of my house is something I am certain that I will paint frequently. In Iran I was looking at the walls or doors trying to find light and shadows. Here I will search for the light and shadows in nature."

"Blue Window harks back to traditionalist Middle Eastern architecture, which is an interest of mine. I have painted works that reflect my love for Iranian, Persian and Lebanese architecture. I was influenced by the architects in my family, such as my brother and my brother-in-law. If I hadn't studied Pharmacy then I definitely would have studied architecture. Blue Window is part of Iranian or Middle Eastern architecture. One can see a lot of windows and doors in this style with the amazing use of blue."

Blue Window by Farshid Razavi
Title: Blue Window
Artist: Farshid Razavi
Medium: Watercolor on Paper
Dimensions: 50 x 70 cm
Image Courtesy: Farshid Razavi

Lalezar Street by Farshid Razavi
Title: Lalezar Street
Artist: Farshid Razavi
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Dimensions: 100 x 80 cm
Image Courtesy: Farshid Razavi

Farshid says, "My work Lazlezar Street was influenced by the streets that Hopper painted, especially his rendition Sunday Morning. Edward Hopper's painting is of stores and one can see his use of light and shadows."

Parissa Daie

Parissa favors pastel on paper. "As Farshid says there is not much natural landscape in Tehran. However I grew up in nature, because of my father's job. Most of my works are about nature, which is why I have a lot of landscape. Most aren't real in that sense. I didn't paint them outside, but painted each from memory. That's why pastel is the best thing for me, because I can tint each image based on what I remember. I have worked with watercolor and oil on canvas but pastel is best."

Trees by Parissa Daie
Title: Trees
Artist: Parissa Daie
Medium: Pastel on Paper
Dimensions: 110 x 85 cm
Image Courtesy: Parissa Daie

"I try to memorize the landscapes in Iran from when I saw them. Lots of my work are memories from my childhood because I grew up in nature. I think most of these works, such as Lagoon are from my early years in Iran."

Lagoon by Parissa Daie
Title: Lagoon
Artist: Parissa Daie
Medium: Pastel on Paper
Dimensions: 110 x 85 cm
Image Courtesy: Parissa Daie

Art is an escape mechanism from the day to day problems that we all encounter. Parissa explains, "Perhaps it's a kind of nostalgia to my childhood. I feel very free in nature and am away from the problems one experiences. It takes me back, I've always felt that I grew up alone in nature, and I find nature closer to me than humans." She adds, "Here, in Canada, the nature is in front of me so I may turn to acrylic and paint outside."

Road by Parissa Daie
Title: Road
Artist: Parissa Daie
Medium: Pastel on Paper
Dimensions: 110 x 85 cm
Image Courtesy: Parissa Daie

"Road is an example of many works I have done of roads, somewhere safe because it is in nature."

"We have been married for ten years and have known one another for fifteen years, and we have a beautiful little girl who is three." The child made her parents proud recently by demonstrating her own artistic flair. "She drew a figure of a human, with a head, facial features, arms and legs, which for three years old is amazing." Perhaps a future Da Vinci on their hands.

Farshid Razavi and Parissa Daie

frazavi@rogers.com