about
Franklin Sinanan

Artist’s Statement:

It's probably obvious that I don't have a fancy university degree and in fact am not strong in most of the classics. When my sister and I, with our parents, immigrated to Canada from Trinidad it was with the hope of a great education for us. Well, my sister excelled in school and I was regularly assessed as having some sort of learning disability. Fortunately I had an outlet - ART! That was what brought me excitement and where I found my passion!

My work allows me to release my emotions and to draw the viewer into the push - pull of life, love - hate, violence - compassion, good - evil. Through my work I become transparent - almost naked. Where nudity only shows my exterior, my art reveals the total me, inside and out - the real me! I'm not a news junky, nor do I read any lofty novels, but I absorb the world around me and with a non-religious spirituality I regurgitate my emotions into the work. For me, religion and politics are difficult to talk about, but when I channel it into my work it seems to come alive and mean something. I paint about everyday stuff: abuse, relationships, anger........ Often my work offends people. I'm always surprised when people think my work evil, because I do it out of love for life.

As for my 'technique,' well......... each piece seems a composition of physical exertion with a spontaneous handling of paint that results in an aggressive and sometimes violent representation of life. Could I paint pretty pictures of nature and nice room-scapes? Yes, my mother would like that very much and regularly begs me to do so - but it would have none of my soul in it, so I won't.