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Posted by Jeff (Guest) - Monday, May 29 2006, 21:25:10 (CEST)
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A Talent for our People: Fred Parhad
by: Dr. Eden Naby

Fred Parhad is the leading creative talent in the Assyrian community in this country. His sculpture is well known to the people in San Francisco since his sculptural interpretation of king Ashurbanipal stands at United Nations Plaza in that city. A statue of Shamiram (Sumuramat), the famed queen, intended to grace the city of Chicago thanks to the efforts of the late Helen James Schwarten (19??-1999) still awaits a home. A third statue, that of King Hammurabi is intended for the city of Detroit. These three statues, accepted by the arts councils of three important American cities for public spaces, attest not only to the talent of Fred Parhad, but also to his dedication to his Assyrian heritage.

Born in Baghdad in 1947, Fred Parhad's family is of mixed Hakkari and Urmi parentage. His father was a physician who died when the sculptor was young. His upbringing in the United States would have allowed him full benefits of a traditional education but the artist chose to reject attending UC Berkeley to take a less ordinary path to finding his life's work. Instead he moved to New York where he worked at art foundries and spent many hours at the Metropolitan Museum. There he had permission to sit and sculpt copies of the extensive Assyrian collection.

Mr. Parhad is married to a lovely Assyrian lady and has four children, the eldest of whom is also headed toward a career in the creative arts field. Due to his own dedication and the care of his family, Mr. Parhad continues to speak his native language.

As he followed a career as a sculptor, Mr. Parhad was offered a commission by the Assyrian Foundation of the Arts to cast a bronze monument, larger than life size, of Ashurbanipal. This is the statue that stands in San Francisco. In addition, he and Helen Schwarten experienced a meeting of the minds on the value of our ancient heritage and, being an amateur sculptor herself, Helen, perhaps more than other Assyrians with whom Mr. Parhad has dealt subsequently, appreciated the talent and drive that makes Mr. Parhad both outstanding and controversial. The collection of statuary that Helen Schwarten commissioned from Mr. Parhad over the years is housed at the Assyrian Heritage Museum of the Assyrian Universal Alliance in Chicago. The Assyrian Aid Society chose the body of Assyrian sculptures produced by this artist as the subject of its 6750-6751 (2000-2001). If you cannot afford to buy any of Mr. Parhad's sculptures, if you cannot contribute toward a statue (and receive a maquette), then spend the $15 for a copy of the Assyrian Aid Society calendar (assyrianaid@mindspring.com).

Not all members of our community may have the appreciation of Mr. Parhad's enormous artistic talent. In the manner of a small, persecuted people, plagued by opportunistic egos, those who cannot build, destroy. We are moving away from this situation in very small steps. In the meantime we have driven many a potential contributor to our cultural and political wealth away from us. Whatever would the British Museum have had to display if Sargon II had not appreciated the talents of his court sculptors? Would there be much to appreciate about modern Assyrians if all that remained of them was the withering testament of the Hebrew Bible? Although no one can replace Helen Schwarten's breadth of interest and enthusiasm for all things Assyrian, let us hope there are enough Assyrians in this country to press for the public installation of the Shamiram statue and support the installation of the Hammurabi one.

Thank you Fred, for still being one of us.

--=======Fred's Response=======--

Dr. Naby, You could add:
Fred Parhad is also an extremely clever man in that he has figured out a way to get rich by swindling several of our people into buying sculpture they don't really want, but as it is painful to watch a grown man beg, our community has decided to support him, for the sake of his poor family. It is no secret that Mr. Parhad could not hope to sell this stuff anywhere else and so has hung around the fringes of our community where we deliver a sound kick to him every so often, just so he doesn't forget which GRAT PEEPIL he comes from.

However, as time flies, so the poets say, he can't last much longer so our community can look forward to the blessed day when we can once again stroll down King Sargon Block with little Nina and Sargon, buy a Pakistani Burrito and take in a movie at Ahmad's Movie Palace and Tire Shop, in peace. He has been a mixed blessing, reminding us of what we could do if we weren't the poor abject slobs the world has turned us into...for as the Great Assyrian writer Francis Sarguis said..."What the Hell are you guys doing rejecting my wisdom when I have money"....Yes indeed it has not been the fault of this Grat Peepil that we have been kicked from pillar to post, for never has there been a more deserving bunch and as Senator Prima Donna said..."Screw you all"...To the Victor go the spoils...and to the Losers go we."

That about sums it up...I mean what is there to add?
Fred

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