Sinem Banna

Sinem Banna (; born 1968) is a Turkish-American artist currently living and working in both San Francisco, California, and her home town of Istanbul, Turkey and exhibits internationally.

Banna works in several disciplines, mainly sculpture and assemblage/collage, site specific installations, and murals. Her work often consists of three-dimensional compositions. A number of her works incorporate objects such as toy parts, tea glasses, and coffee beans so as to capture cultural signs and symbols in her work. She works frequently with Plexiglas constructions as well as light boxes. in Istanbul, Turkey. Upon this, Banna showed her work "Shadows at Noon" at the 2004 Athens Olympics, and received a grant under The Artiade "Olympics of Visual Art".

Sinem Banna has been reported by US and international media-- including the New York Times, CNN Turkey, the San Francisco Examiner, SF Weekly, and newspaper distributors in Europe including Cumhuriyet, Milliyet, and Sabah.

Selected public works and site-specific installations

1994 Sinem Banna, "Street Almanac", "San Francisco Talks with Different Voices" - outdoor site-specific installation located in front of the San Francisco Library in San Francisco, California. Banna was awarded a Grant under the Lef Foundation for her work the "Almanac Project", "San Francisco talks with different voices". This outdoor site-specific installation was located in front of the San Francisco Library in Civic Center, San Francisco, California. The work, a metal almanac with a seven-foot tall page, invited viewers and the public to put down their thoughts, in writing, on the artwork—thus constructing one large book of the voices of the San Francisco Community. Banna also affixed 40 small silver bells to the bottom of the bench, which rang with any light breeze.

2009–2012 In conjunction with several different schools in the San Mateo Community and SMFC in California, Banna created several murals and site specific installations. "Always Hope"; site specific mural at the entrance of the dance studio at the Horrall School in San Mateo. "Opening Doors"; outdoor site specific community project consisting of works throughout art history recreated on 24 vintage doors by children, grades K-5, under the supervision and direction of artist in residence Sinem Banna. Located at the courtyard of the Horrall School, San Mateo. "Say Hi"; site specific mural located at Horrall School, San Mateo under the educational and interactive project. "Peace and Love"; collaborative site specific mural at Baywood Elementary School, San Mateo. "Say Hi II"; interactive mural study as community event located in Baywood Elementary School, San Mateo. "B.With"; site specific mural, assemblage of mixed media with tiles, located in Borel Middle School, San Mateo. Dedicated to the memory of sixth grade student, Miranda, who died due to leukemia in 2010. Consists of eighty-seven 4x4 tiles with the Class of 2012 8th graders each making their own tile, in addition to eighty to a hundred 4x4 tiles of Miranda's own art work, digitally imposed on the tile. Three five-foot penguins patterned after the penguins above Miranda's bed after her Make a Wish Foundation, Room Make Over. The dedication by Tammie Bosley, mother of Miranda, said "I keep reminding myself to take deep breathes; it is simply beautiful in so many ways. Every time I visit it, I find something new. It certainly has a life of its own,". Installation June 2012; Dedication August 2012.

2013 Banna was invited by the San Mateo Downtown Association for project "Meter Garden", consisting of parking meters for public art. of solo and group exhibitions throughout the US. Banna has worked as a lecturer as well as an educator for over 10 years at several different universities and educational institutions.

For over five years, Banna worked as an editor and as the United States representative for Art in Turkey magazine and Milliyet art magazine of Istanbul.

Awards and honors