Pottery, Pears, and Poetry

Farrokh Shehabi's Ceramics Studio in Berkeley

Artistic Hospitality

Not too long ago, I went to see an Iranian artist in Berkeley who specializes in creation of ceramic pottery. I was delightfully surprised by what I found! Farrokh Shehabi is one of the warmest Iranians I have ever met. Of course he is an artist and his beautiful creations are pretty famous in our area and beyond, and I enjoyed watching him finish his work on a piece he was developing. But talking about poetry really endeared him to me! At the entrance to his workshop in Berkeley, he has posted a piece of a Sohrab Sepehri poem (Be soraghe man agar miaeed.....), which prompted a long chat about poetry. The stories this interesting man told me will each be a separate piece of writing, like his friendship with the late Sadegh Choobak who lived in our area for the last decades of his life, or his lifetime friendship with Nader Naderpour, the poet. I also discovered he has a ranch and a fruit orchard where he and his wife spend part of their time. He was very hospitable, serving me tea, fruit from his orchard, and as we talked too much and for too long, a nice supper! My pictures and story about him are incomplete and I will have to go see him again soon to finish it and to write about it. I think it is always nice to be invited to an Iranian's home and be well-received. It is absolutely exhilarating when you walk into an Iranian's corner and find art, intelligence, poetry, and hospitality. I will write about this soon.