SARDAR SINJAWI
Biography
Sardar Sinjawi is a Kurdish-Australian artist who grew up in Erbil, Kurdistan, and has lived in Sydney since 1996. He holds MFA Masters degree in Fine Art from National Art School, Sydney, and BVA Bachelor of Visual Arts from Sydney University. He is known for his innovative use of clear perspex, mirror, and other reflective surfaces to explore the phenomena of reflection, perception, and spatial interaction. Sinjawi’s work blends installation and sculptural objects, using photomedia to document the engagement of the viewer, focusing on mini interventions that subtly alter real and virtual space. He works with the themes of properties of reflection, identity, environment, and a technologically changing world.
Sinjawi’s fascination with reflection dates to 1991 in Kurdistan when he first saw his own eyes projected on a large wall through the glass entrance of the Media gallery in Erbil-Kurdistan. Since then, he has been investigating the phenomena of reflection, the relationship between mirrors, clear Perspex, and the illusionistic possibilities of reflective surfaces. His experiments led to the development of the alternative mirror illusion, capturing the interaction between vision and mental interpretation without the use of conventional projectors. Sinjawi’s projections are often documented as intellectual property through photomedia, emphasizing the role of viewers in shaping their perceptions.
His work is in various permanent and private collections including at Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, Michael Hobbs Collection, Nicholas Tsoutas, Kon Gouriotis and many more.
Sardar's work has been shown in solo and group exhibitions including Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney; Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre in Casula; SNO - Sydney Non Objective Group in Sydney; Articulate project space; Cihan gallery in Erbil, Kurdistan; Jon Frum Art Foundation in Los Angeles and New York, USA.
SELECTED SOLO AND GROUP EXHIBITIONS:
2025 SI Liverpool Series, SI Gallery, Sydney (SOLO)
2024 SI Project, Cihan Gallery Series, Erbil, Kurdistan (SOLO)
2023 Anthology, Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf, Sydney
2022 Parallax Art Fair, London, UK
2021 Casula Powerhouse Spotlights Sculpture, Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre
2019 The collection of Michael Hobbs exhibition, Art Space
2019 In-Formalisim exhibition, Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre
2018 Articulate Tens Eight, Articulate Project Space
2017 Expanded Photography, Articulate Project Space
2017 Shanasheel, Fairfield City Museum and Gallery
2017 Paramor Prize Exhibition, Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre
2016 Work Out, Articulate Project Space
2015 SNO Contemporary Art Projects
2014 Fair Isle, Articulate Project Space
2012 2020, Damien Minton Annex Gallery
2011 2020, Damien Minton Annex Gallery
2010 Art for a Changing World, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney
2010 Talking Trash, Goulburn Regional Art Gallery, Goulburn
2010 Plastic People, Jon Frum Art Foundation, Los Angeles, USA
2009 Blacktown City Annual Art Exhibition, Blacktown Arts Centre
2009 Something or other, Jon Frum Art Foundation, New York, USA
2008 Australian, Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre
2007 Liverpool Art Society Annual Exhibition, Liverpool Regional Museum
2007 Western Front, Fairfield City Museum and Gallery
2007 Dis/place, Making Work in Exile, Campbelltown Arts Centre
2006 Liverpool Art Society Annual Exhibition, Liverpool Reginal Museum
2006 The Second Snap. Snap Gallery, Fairfield
2004 Paintings by, Mary Place Gallery, Sydney
2002 Recent Paintings, Knot Gallery, Sydney
2001 Origin(s), New Space Gallery, Sydney
1997 Ground, Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, Casula
1992 First Kurdish Election Exhibition, Media Gallery, Erbil
1992 Sulaymani Youth Festival Exhibition, Museum Gallery, Sulaimani
1992 Media Gallery, Erbil Kurdistan (SOLO)
1990 Erbil Artists Exhibition, Media Gallery, Erbil
1989 7th Al-wassiti Festival, Arts Centre, Baghdad
1987 Erbil Artists Exhibition, Media Gallery, Erbil, Kurdistan
1987 6th Al-wassiti Festival, Arts Centre, Baghdad
1986 Erbil Castel Museum, Erbil-Kurdistan (SOLO)
1983 Ayubia Hall, Erbil-Kurdistan (SOLO)
1979 Ayubia Hall, Erbil-Kurdistan (SOLO)
AWARDS:
2007 Casula Powerhouse new work commission
2007 Liverpool Art Society Scholarship Winner
2012 Fairfield City Council Grant
2020 Doctors@Liverpool Mural Commission
2024 Public Sculpture Art Commission, Kar Group, Kurdistan
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