Interview by Jimon

1-Where do you reside and create? I live and work in Shiraz, Iran.

2-Did you study art or is it inherent? Maybe it can be said inherent because I only spent the last two years of high school in the art school and I have a high school Diploma in Graphic design.

3-How would you describe Shekofteh Afrasiabi? The explanation is a bit complicated.

4-Is there any reality behind the characters in your paintings or are they purely fantasy? A combination of reality and fantasy. In my opinion, art in its most fantasy form expresses the realities of the artist.

5-What artist working today you most admire? Sinan Hussein and Kiomars Harpa.

6-What is the inspiration behind your paintings? My sufferings are the inspirations for my paintings.

7-In your professional carrier, what is the longest you have gone without creating? There were years in my life when I had to work hard and I had little time to paint. Sometimes for eight or nine months I could not create an artwork.

8-What is the most extravagant thing you have done? Hummm…

9-What are your guilty pleasures? I like to lie in my bed immersed in my dreams for hours.

10-Are you an optimist, pessimist or realist? Pessimistic realist.

11-If you had access to a working time machine what period would you choose to live in? Definitely Past.

12-What do you dream about? I have always dreamed of continuing my education in art academically at a university outside of Iran. Studying in the field of art in Iran is useless because you have to study in accordance with the religious principles and rules and norms governing the country and within a predetermined range, and in my opinion, art will not be created in such conditions.

13-What is the last great movie you watched? That Obscure Object of Desire, Luis Buñuel.

14-If you hosted a TV talk show, we will call it, The Afriasibi hour, who would be your first guest? Ai Weiwei

15-What emotion do you expect to be on people’s faces when they look at your art? It is enough for me to feel our common suffering in my paintings without any conversation or questions.

16-If you could have dinner with 3 artists living/dead who would be at your table? It’s so hard to limit to three, but my favorite Artists:  Bahman Mohases, Frida Kahlo , Egon Schiele.

17-What question would you ask if you were the interviewer? Please follow up with the answer.

No 1:  If you are born again, will you become a painter again?

Yes, of course and maybe even better than before.

No 2: How would you like to be seen as an artist years from now?

The Iranian Frida Kahlo

18-How would someone find you on social media? Instagram:  @shekofteh.afrasiabi

19-Please name the first thing that comes to your mind while reading the following:

Art = everything

Food = burger

Exercise = No

Politics = Planned Wars

Poor = Suffering

God = Belief

Rich = Ambition

Luxury = Golden and White

Sex = love

Picasso = Cube

Religion = Extremism