Mapping the Artist: Fereidun Shokatfard

A video grab of Fereidun Shokatfard and Kathabela Wilson from a salon talk about his art.

An interview with Fereidun Shokatfard, a loving and passionate artist that inspires the lives of children, the cancer patients that he helps, and us, with painting and poetry for nourishment and healing.

Fereidun continually collaborates with others to bring a more creative, conscious approach to life, and never stops learning

By Kathabela Wilson

A telescope on the poet

Fereidun, besides being a magnificent painter, your view of the world is full of love. You’ve always impressed me with all this care, love, enthusiasm and encouragement you give others, can you trace the beginnings of this in your life?

I will love to share some stories from my childhood. I was born in Tehran, Iran. I observed my grandfather and the effect he had on me as a role model. He was well educated, wealthy but very humble and with a big heart. He was the head of our large family. He worked for ministry of justice and had large orchards of fruit trees near Tehran. Every weekend he would take 2 of his grand children with him. Evenings he preferred to dine not only with his top aids and advisers but also with regular workers which impressed me a lot. Also he was a man of literature and music. He would play Tar and recite poetry of Hafiz and Rumi to us.

A microscope on the poet

Your embrace of children and especially the cancer patients at the hospitals, is so warm and strong, I know it makes a difference in their lives to have your influence and the encouragement to be creative…

When I was 7 years old I fell out of a car driving 80 miles an hour. I fell on a patch of sand which was placed on the street that day for construction. I survived the accident and today I know why I did survive –to make a difference.

Over 20 years ago I started working with children on occasion in a place in Westwood called “Reggie’s House,” an after school care facility. Later I was working with special education students in elementary schools. In doing art with cancer patients I have two objectives. One to bring joy to their lives and have them forget the pain and suffering. Also to keep the hope of healing alive. I try to tap into their creativeness and not so much into their skills. The encouragement is a great part of healing.

A compass on the poet

I have the feeling that you are always learning, who are your teachers now?

I learn from the children, my grandchildren, the cancer patients. They teach me to “think outside the box”. The old and tall eucalyptus tree in front of my house, germinated a new branch at the bottom of the tree close to the dirt. I started guiding the branch around the tree and told Zoey, my 4 year old granddaughter who calls me Papa, that I am the tree and she is the new branch. Now every time she comes to our house she points to the tree and tells her mom: That is Papa and this is Zoey. It is a joy to see it everyday when I am leaving the house.

Recently I had a video taping at my house, part of instructional art video series I am doing. My granddaughter and grandson, Rafael, the former cancer patient and his brother were my students. I told the kids to go to the garden and pick up some leaves and flowers so we could do some collages. Suddenly Rafael told me “but it is rude to pick flowers.” I was taken by surprise and had to think what to say. I said Rafael you are right, but it is not rude if the owner gives you permission, but thinking to myself, he is right … it is rude to pick flowers.

Pulse of the artist, poet and humanitarian

I think art, poetry, and caring for others have deep roots in your childhood, what brought all this together to the forefront of your present life?

I leaned to paint watercolor in high school. Later when the stress of my business caused a heart attack over 25 years ago, I went back to art and tried to use my painting as a form of meditation which worked well for me.

My grandfather, who loved Rumi and Hafiz, was my role model to read and write poetry. Off and on I used to write short poems. When I started to paint over 25 years ago, I also started to write poetry on regular basis. It was for me as if the painting and poetry were the wings by which I could soar spiritually.

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Learn more about Fereidun Shokatfard’s books, art, poetry, and life at his website.