The most basic thing that accompanies a person, Outsider, interview

Farzad Koushki:

THE MOST BASIC THING THAT ACCOMPANIES A MAN

Written by: Ana Gruden

Photo: Primož Korošec

We met 17 years ago, when I lived in Plečnikov Peglezen.

On the ground floor of the neighboring house there was an Iranian restaurant where we students could eat on vouchers. What I remember most was the saffron rice with fruit sauce and pistachio sweets. Farzad was its owner at the time. Born in Iran, he comes from a town 500 km southwest of Tehran high in the Zagros Mountains. In addition to his oriental beauty, I was captivated by his cheerful nature and openness. He introduced me to the culture of Iran. The places of the Middle East have a fairy-tale feel. This can most likely be attributed to oriental tales, flying carpets and Persian verts and Alamut.

When I moved to a new apartment on the other side of Ljubljana near Gornji trg a year ago, Farzad and I became neighbors again. Farzad also has his gallery and Persian carpet shop here.

How did you come to Slovenia?

I studied in Eastern Europe. I first came to Slovenia just to visit. I recognized it as a mix of Eastern and Western Europe. I like (this month, transaction) both, so I decided to stay here.

How many years have you been here?

Since 1999.

How do you see Ljubljana and its changes during this time?

I see it as cosmopolitan. I like it. The atmosphere is relaxed. I see Slovenians as educated, with a lot of experience gained in different periods. They have experienced good and bad times under different regimes, so they are quite open.

Was it difficult for you to find your way here at first?

Starting a life abroad is not that easy. Considering that this was not my first experience abroad, it was easier for me. I opened a company and started various activities. First, I studied Slovene in philosophy and worked in gastronomy, but all the while I had a collection of carpets, which I occasionally exhibited, and I also repaired carpets, which I still do today.

Were these rugs an heirloom from your family?

Some are heirlooms, but these are not for sale. However, I have always had my own selection of rugs from different regions of Iran that I sell.

What do you think of when you hear the word home?

I think of a place where you feel good, relaxed, where you think you can rest the most, that’s where your home is. Where you are calm, safe, where you have your own little world, your friends, your relationships.

Where is your home?

My home is in Slovenia, in Ljubljana. I’ve lived here for twenty years. My friends are here. Gornji trg for now.

You said earlier that you’ve lived in different countries. Where have you lived?

I attended high school in Germany and Turkey, studied in Romania, lived and worked in Austria, the USA, China… For a few years I ran a family business in New York and Beijing and related projects (furnishing and interior design for prestigious hotels in Manhattan), but I soon realized that I couldn’t live there despite the interesting and profitable work, and that my home was in Slovenia. I wouldn’t trade my peaceful life for a career and money.

You go to Iran several times.

I have my daughter Nadja there, who is graduating from high school this year, my mother (father died a few years ago), my brothers and all the other numerous relatives. My family is very large. Two years ago, my son Sepher also came to me in Ljubljana, he will study here.

What do you think is the main difference between Iran and Slovenia?

In population and climate – temperature. Here there are two million inhabitants, there are eighty. The differences are individual. Every person is different. Today, society and culture are international. If there are 550 churches and 3 mosques or there are 550 mosques and three churches, there is no significant difference for me. People follow the general fashion, the Internet and books, universities are becoming similar. Habits and lifestyles are becoming similar everywhere.

That is, the attitude of Iranians towards home is similar to ours.

Now it is, because the Internet, Instagram and iPhone are everywhere. Relationships between people have changed, family ties used to be stronger here too. But all over the world, it is true that home is not just a building where you live, it is much more than that. Home means safety, love, peace and warmth between people. At home, we can be who we are, and live in harmony with ourselves.

Housing prices in Slovenia are very high relative to income. What about Iran?

In Iran, the prices are even higher, but you also earn more. The standard is similar in Iran now. This has changed in the last ten years. It used to be much cheaper in Iran.

What is important to you in your surroundings?

I like a lot of events. I really like art, culture. I like open and friendly people.

How long have you been dealing with carpets?

As children, we used to visit nomads, and in the village I saw relatives making carpets, blankets, clothes, and fabrics for themselves. That’s when my fingers got to know the instruments for making carpets, and my eyes got to know colors and lines. I was fascinated by the fact that one person could create such different patterns that adorn carpets with combinations of colors and shapes. When the painter Paul Gauain’s students asked where he got the inspiration for his beautiful color combinations, he told them to look closely at Persian carpets, because that’s where all the knowledge they were asking for was found…

What is a carpet to you?

The most basic object with human beeing . The most basic object for a person. If we look at the evolution of man. Animal skins were our first covering. A carpet can also have the function of furniture, a person walks on it, sits on it or sleeps.

It’s definitely not just a floor covering.

Certainly not. It can be a family memory, an investment. You can find your own color, your own letters in it. Carpets are also an essential part of Persian culture and art.

Would you say that there is a difference between your carpets and others on the market in Slovenia?

Yes.

What is this difference?

My carpets are unique. They are mostly made by masters or nomadic families. The materials are natural and authentic from the places and villages where the wool and the tools they are made come from. These carpets are made by people who are in constant contact with nature and freedom, with a thousand-year-old tradition and with their understanding of the world and non-materialistic principle – with the minimum life expectation as we now. I choose each carpet myself from different nomadic families, in villages or from masters, which requires a lot of time. This means a lot of traveling to different places in Iran, through the mountains and deserts, and listening to the different life stories of the nomads, which are expressed in thousands of different carpets. High artistic value is also important to me. Today, antique Persian carpets are on display in all the most important museums and galleries in the world, from Vienna, London, St. Petersburg to New York… Their value is priceless or in the millions… For example, the Sheikh Safia carpet from Ardabil in London’s Royal Victoria & Albert Museum.

Have you managed to transfer this attitude towards carpets to the Slovenian market?

Yes. When I started trading in carpets, I noticed that carpets in Slovenia were not presented in the right way before. People were sold carpets as a piece of furniture, just to cover the floor, without any knowledge about them, not about their cultural and artistic value, nor about maintenance. Some people had carpets as a symbol of prestige, although it turned out many times that they had worthless fakes made of artificial silk for which they paid a real fortune. Various companies offered various commercial carpets and repeatedly abused people’s trust, including in terms of price – in this case, the Slovenian state was not protected from fraud. A few years ago, it overpaid a lot for a non-original carpet for a protocol facility. The case ended up in the media and in court, as I read.

Only a few old Slovenian families who had carpets from before World War II did I see that they had knowledge about them. Many people changed their view of carpets when they came to us, especially regarding allergies and dust. A real carpet does not add dust, but acts as a filter . In 2000, we started educating people about carpets with large exhibitions and lectures throughout Slovenia and in the gallery, also for students of the Faculty of Textiles.

So, are carpets beneficial for allergy sufferers?

Yes, but not all carpets, but only carpets made from natural materials, natural wool. These are materials that have natural pigments. Due to the special properties of wool, the carpet attracts microparticles of dust that are always in the air in the room. It acts as an air filter in the room. This way we inhale much fewer particles. The carpet should be cleaned and beaten once a year to remove the particles.

How old are your carpets?

Various. A good original carpet is like a painting. The older it is, the more valuable it is. Here we have carpets from new to over a hundred years old.

How do we distinguish carpets?

Carpets are divided into woven carpets (kilms) and knotted carpets. According to their origin, they are divided into nomadic and classic, which are made in master workshops, and the patterns are the work of carpet designers and painters.

Persian rugs are most often made of wool or silk, with a cotton backing. In finer rugs, the backing can also be silk.

What can you say about patterns? That’s probably a whole science.

Yes. The pattern is one long story.

A nomad who lives only in nature will draw what he knows. He draws inspiration from nature. Iran is very large, nature is diverse, and nomads are also different. A nomad who lives in the mountains and forests knows flowers, mountains, plants, birds, animals, rivers. Of course, we cannot expect a nomad who lives in the desert to draw a lotus flower and a rose garden. In the southeast and center of Iran, we find more geometry on carpets, the sky, stars, the moon, the sun, imaginary animals and insects, birds. In the north of Iran, such as Tabriz, we have many designs of flowers, gardens, hunting.

Everywhere, the nomad works from his own experiences. Without any special training, we find extraordinary color combinations and harmony.

We have two design principles: the first is imaginative, and the second is regional, where we can even tell from the characteristics which family or workshop it comes from. Then there is the design of serial carpets with geometric or floral patterns. Geometric patterns mainly have straight lines, while floral ones are made of curves. A smaller knot is needed for curves and details. Such classic carpets are found in cities with a longer cultural tradition, such as Isfahan, Tabriz, Kerman. In the Zagros Mountains area they have the best wool for carpets.

What about the prices of your carpets?

Depending on the individual carpet, from a few hundred euros to €100,000.

I saw a photo of your parents where you have several rugs one on top of the other. This is not a custom in Slovenia.

It’s not usual, there are no conditions for it either. In my opinion, floors are very important, they are the first thing we see when we enter a space. Design is what our eyes see.

Do you ever regret selling a rug?

When I feel like the buyer doesn’t know what they’re buying or I feel like they’re disrespected. But I also fall in love with some rugs.

Can we talk about fake carpets?

Yes, of course. In Iran, this is not the case because we have enough local production. The Persian carpet is originally from Iran. But today, many fakes are sold from India, China, Pakistan, Nepal, Turkey, including online.

Can you advise us on how to buy a carpet?

Buy a carpet from a reputable store near your home because you can try it out, show it to others, advertise it after purchase, and return it if something is wrong. It’s important that the seller has a history that you can trust.

Do you also repair carpets in your shop? Where did you learn this?

I learned about carpets and their structure in Iran as a child. But when I started my carpet business in Slovenia, I went to Iran for specialized training in carpet restoration.

What have you been working on the most lately and what gives you the most satisfaction?

I love to draw and design. I hike in the mountains and hills, live with nature, write, read, and mend carpets, of course.

What about the future? Do you have any plans?

No. I let life flow, which flows at its own pace and is full of surprises.

And you will stay in Slovenia?

Yes, I am Slovenian now.

Our conversation continues… we say goodbye with the thought: It is important that you dare to love and be loved.