Franklyn Sinanan

Validate Email

Profile Name / Nickname / Stage Name *

Featured Artist

Check to feature this artist on the home page.

Profile Photo

A square photo of 900x900 pixels or higher recommended, .jpg or .png format, 5mb maximum file size

Voluntary Self-Identification

The Arty Crowd funding sources require inclusion of members who identify as belonging to priority groups encompassing: Indigenous, ethnocultural communities, rural or remote residents, youth, and Francophones (english and french). Hamilton Arts Council further wants to measure its success in attracting members from all the diverse groups we serve in the Greater Hamilton Area arts community, including those who are LGBTQ2S+, and persons with disabilities. We will use the aggregates of the information collected here to measure our success in making The Arty Crowd an accessible and safe space for all who join. We thank the members of the committee from the Safer Spaces Project who advised us in creating an inclusive self-identification process.

Location

All profile holders must live or work in Hamilton, Ancaster, Dundas, Flambourough, Glanbrook, Stoney Creek, Waterdown, Six Nations of the Grand River.

Contact Email Address

This email address is for your Artist Profile. You can choose a different address from your account email, or leave it the same.

Website

Biography / Artistic Statement / Creative Vision

Biography

Franklyn Sinanan – Born in Trinidad, raised in Canada

Solo Exhibitions include:

“Sacred Sacrificial Space”, African Cultural Heritage Center, Miami, FL, 2022; Miami
City Hall, “Black History Month”, Miami Beach, FL, 2010; “Addicted to Love and Abuse” at Edge Zones, Miami
Art Space, Wynwood Art District, Miami FL., Feb. 2008 and March 2008; “ Spring Garden” at Birchwood
Gallery, Yellowknife, Artic Circle, Canada, Nov. 2007, “ Not for the Faint of Heart” at Elder Gallery, Charlotte,
N.C., Feb. 2007; “Hidden Treasures” at The Pearl Factory, Hamilton, ON., Canada, Oct. 2007; The Pearl Factory,
May 2007; “Images from Within” at Elder Gallery, Charlotte, N.C., Feb. 2007; “Mixed Media” at The Urban
Gallery, Toronto, ON., Canada, May 1996; “Slave to the Rhythm” at Hand Works Gallery, Picton, ON., Canada,
July1999; “A Spiritual Journey” at Carnegie Gallery, Dundas, ON., Canada, May 2001; “AIDS” at Fitchburg State
University Gallery, MA, Oct., 2003.

&nbsp;

Group Shows includes:

“First Frequency”, Art Basel 2022, African Cultural Heritage Center, Miami, FL, 2022; “Overdress”, Historical
Hampton House, Miami, FL, 2022; “A Tribute to Oscar Thomas”, African Cultural Heritage Center, Miami, FL,
2022; “Deja Blue”, Gallery One Hotel, Ft Lauderdale, FL, 2022; Art Basel Miami; “Art Africa 2019”, Miami, FL,
2019; Art Basel Miami, “Scope”, 2018; Salvation Army, Ft Lauderdale, FL, “Red Shield ReDesign”, 2018;
ArtServe, Ft Lauderdale, FL, “True Colors”, 2018; Bombay Sapphire Competition Semi-finalist, Miami, FL,
“Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series”, 2018; AC Gallery, Hollywood, CA, “Art in LA”, 2018; ArtServe, Ft.
Lauderdale, FL “RedEye”, 2018; Parallax Art Fair, New York City, New York, August 2012; South Florida Art
Center, “The Afterlife”, Miami Beach, FL, July 2012; Miami Beach LGBT Visitor Center, “Listen Out”, Miami
Beach, FL, March 2012; Rosetti Fine Arts Gallery, “Best of the Best II”, Pompano Beach, FL, February, 2012; Art
Basel - Art Africa Exhibition Hall, “Art Africa 2011” Miami, FL December, 2011; Eduard Nieto Studios, Art Basel
Exhibition, Miami, FL, December 2011; Alberto Linero Gallery, “Pink Bastard”, Miami, FL, October 2011, South
Florida Art Center, “Center of Attention”, Miami Beach, FL, December 2011; Miguel Paredes Fine Art Gallery,
“Bombay Artisan Series”, Miami, FL, 2011; Alberto Linero Gallery, “September”, Miami, FL 2011; South Florida
Art Center, “Splinter Fuse”, Miami Beach, FL, 2008; ArtSpace, “Common Ground”, Miami, FL, 2009; “Caribbean
Canvas”, Miami, 2009; “Boys in the Hole”, Miami Beach, 2009; Rosetti Gallery, Broward Art Guild, “Human
Image”, Pompano Beach, FL, 2010; Gallery 101, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, 2010; Gallery 101, Broward Art Guild,
“Abstractions”, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, 2010; Rosetti Gallery, Pompano Beach, FL, 2010; Rabbit Gallery, “Day of the
Dead”, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, 2010; Cando Art Co-op, “Death Art”, Miami Beach, FL, 2010; Scratch Gallery,
Toronto, ON., Canada, April 2007; Miami Beach City Hall, “Black History Month” 2006; Gallery Bibianne,
Toronto ON., Canada, 2004/5; Art in the County, Picton, ON., Canada, 2000/2003; Harbourfront Gallery,
Toronto, ON., Canada, 1998; O’Conner Gallery, Toronto, ON., Canada, 1998; A Space Gallery, Toronto, ON.,
Canada, 1996.

Franklyn Sinanan is the recipient of Awards and Honors:

Bombay Artisan Series Miami Semifinalist, Miguel Paredes Fine Art Gallery, Miami, FL, 2011; Gallery 101,
“Octoberfest”, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, 1st Place, 2010; Broward Art Guild, “Human Image”, Pompano Beach, FL, 1st
Place, 2010; Broward Art Guild, “Abstractions”, FT. Lauderdale, FL, Judges Recognition, 2010; Rosetti Gallery,
Pompano Beach, FL, 2nd Place, 2010; Artist in Residency, South Florida Art Center, Nov. 2005-Apr. 2006 and
Feb. - May 2008; Canada Arts Council Travel Grant, 2001; Canada Arts Council, 2003; “Juror’s Award” Art in the
County, Picton, ON., Canada, 2003; “Honourable Mention” Art in the County, 2000.
Guest artist at the Ashoona Studios and the Ashoona family of Eskimos, particular concentration with Inuit
artists Goota Ashoona and R.A. Kussy, based in Yellowknife, Artic Circle, Canada, Oct. 2007. “It was an
enriching experience to work with a third generation female Inuit artist. I was exposed to new mediums and
techniques, carving with whalebones and learning about the Canadian Artic and Inuit artists.”

&nbsp;

Publications:

Sun Sentinel, “Franklyn Sinanan shares spiritual images in 'The Afterlife'”, Ft Lauderdale, FL, 2012; The Lead
Miami Beach, “Cover photo 6-17-11 issue”, Miami Beach, FL, 2011; WordinTown, “Art Center South Florida
Spotlights Miami Talent and Themes though Photography, Mixed-Media, and Installation”, Miami, FL 2011;
The Sun Sentinel, “The Art List: Winning Art!, Lost and Found: Freedom in Postgraffism, and Collectivism”,
Miami, FL, 2011; The Miami Times, “Art Africa Debuts in Overtown”, Miami, FL 2011; Miami New Times,
“Wynwood Art Walk Revs Up for Art Basel”, Miami, FL 2011; Plum TV, Miami Beach, FL 2010; Miami
artzine.com, “A Cultural Celebration”, 2010; The Sun Post, “Politics section – Witch Doctor Painted What?”,
Miami, FL, 2010; The Lead, “City Censorship”, Miami Beach, FL, 2010; Miami Herald, “Pride Month”, 2009; Emit Magazine, Miami, FL 2009; The Lead, “The Art Habitat”, Miami Beach, FL, 2009; “WET”, published 2008 by
Edge Zones Editions, Miami, FL; Northern News Service, “Emotional Archeology”, YellowKnife, NW Territories,
2008; The “Charlotte Post” (Sandy Seawright) Feb. 8, 2007; North Carolina, “Carolina Arts Publication,” Feb. 2,
2007, Charlotte, N.C.; The Pearl Company News Letter, Oct. 2, 2007; Hamilton, ON., Canada. The spec.com
“Hidden Treasures,” Oct. 15, 2007; Hamilton, ON., Canada. yktix.com, Nov., 2007; Yellowknife, Artic Circle,
Canada. “Weekend Yellowknifer,” Vol.36- Issue 65 Nov. 2, 2007; Daily Calendar issue for “Black History
Month,” Miami, FL., 2006; Miami artzine.com, “Black History Month,” Miami, FL., 2006; The Charlotte
Observer, North Carolina, July 7, 2006; 701.com magazine by Charles Westfall, Toronto, ON, Canada, May 27,
2001; “Trade Queer Magazine,” Toronto, ON, Canada 1998; The “County Guide” page 33, Picton, ON, Canada;
Prince Edward Free Press “Art on the Fence,” Picton, ON., Canada, 1999.

&nbsp;

Residencies:

• South Florida Art Center, Lincoln Road, South Beach, FL; 9 years, 1996 - 2005

&nbsp;

FRANKLIN SINANAN ARTIST STATEMENT

My name is Franklin Sinanan. I was born in Trinidad, grew up in Canada and now residing in Hamilton

I am an outsider and iconoclast . . . unbound to any tenets of the known world . . . Artistic, spiritual or otherwise. My lack of formal training allows me to break rules while freeing me to create from the deepest part of me . . . expressing my innermost fears and desires. When I apply paint to paper it's like I'm in a trance working from a dreamlike state . . . questioning spirituality, it's traditions, ceremonies and the ritual of sacrifice as practiced by those who came before us.
My works are often based upon this idea. When I think about sacrifice, I think about the ritualistic offerings made to a sacred source and how it is part and parcel of our ancestral legacy. As a sacred rite performed by a priest or shaman, it is a psychic and spiritual transmission of power . . . an act of submission to a divine force and an initiation into an external sacred body.
All rituals are dependent upon a belief system and there is a vast array of rituals enacted to comply with its tenets, which, to the uninitiated may appear taboo or haram but seeing that through a wider lens could take a form of a positive . . . as in the case of the rituals performed for the birth of a child, a marriage, or one's death.
Whether the ceremonial ritual invoked fertility, spiritual renewal or a sacred initiation . . . they all require intense focus to ensure the accurate application and timely transmission of the particular rite of passage in question. Many rituals are temporal: specific to a month, day and year or particular to a sacred geographical place such as Stonehenge or the great public plazas of Aztec cities.
Blood rituals . . . that is rituals that involve the symbolic letting of blood have been in practice in several indigenous and primitive cultures throughout the world. Blood rituals often involve sacrifice as an allegory denoting death, rebirth, and divine protection. The idea is potent . . . as the literal body, be it human or animal is largely composed of blood and sheds blood in the act . . . as in childbirth. Blood is typically seen as a very powerful and blood sacrifice is essential to some types of prayer incantation and divination.
I am not an occultist or practitioner of any religious belief. I am a free spirit, born of divine energy and connected to all layers of the spiritual plane from the sacred heavens to our secular earth and all the spaces in between.

&nbsp;

Creative Vision for Hamilton residency:

My roots are in Hamilton and those steel town influences have continued to impact my work.   With family and friends here to support me, I look forward to expanding my involvement with the Hamilton community, helping other artists and giving me the tools to create an evolved body of work.

&nbsp;

Practice