Strongly influenced by his architectural background: his compositions and portrait works often show attention to form, structure, space. Portraiture was a significant part of his art. He often painted people close to him; the portraits are personal, intimate. Use of memory, everyday objects and figures — there’s a sense of recalling people and moments from the past. Some descriptions mention “involuntary memory” and how small sensory cues in everyday life evoke memory.
Saffari is remembered as part of the pre-revolutionary Iranian cultural elite—deeply involved in art, architecture, theatre, education. His art has been exhibited posthumously, and there’s renewed interest in his paintings (especially portraits) both inside and outside. His personal life and the 1978 wedding made him a symbolic figure in discussions around LGBT+ history.
