Today we’d like to introduce you to Farzad Kohan.
Hi Farzad, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’ve been making objects since I was a child. I sold my first painting at age twelve, during the Iranian Revolution in the streets of Tehran, a moment that gave me the confidence to believe in myself.
My life has unfolded across continents, cultures, and studios. For more than three decades now, I’ve been living and working in Los Angeles, carrying those journeys with me into everything I make.
I arrived at painting through sculpture, and that history still shapes my hands. My work is built from what surrounds me, found objects, fragments of newsprint, and memory. Each piece holds traces of place, movement, and time. I don’t separate life from art; they arrive together.
I’ve been making art for a long time, and I still show up every day at my studio. That’s the quiet discipline behind everything. You show up. You listen. You keep building. That’s how the work finds you.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
An artist’s life is never easy. It’s shaped by obstacles, uncertainty, and long stretches of doubt. We have to learn how to turn those moments into possibility, how to transform difficulty into something meaningful. That’s one of the hardest parts of being an artist.
For me, the road has never been smooth. But I’ve come to understand that struggle is part of the language of my work. It has taught me patience, resilience, and presence. I have learned not to wait for comfort but move through resistance. All that keeps me alert, connected, and alive in the studio.
In many ways, it’s exactly what keeps me going.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
First of all, I am most proud of my daughter, she has been a force thought out my life. She is one of the very few people who truly inspires me to be better at my own practice and my life.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
To be yourself, and at the same time being open toward anything that makes you questions yourself and your beliefs.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/FarzadKohan
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/farzadkohan
Image Credits
All images are mine.
