Mehdi

A bit about my past:

I am Mehdi Nikkan, and I was born to parents from two different cultures and languages in the Kurdistan region of Iran. Persian was spoken both at home and in school. My childhood was spent in the chaotic atmosphere following the 1979 Iranian revolution and the eight-year Iran-Iraq war. In my early teenage years, I began studying classical Persian calligraphy (Nastaliq and Shekasteh Nastaliq) and martial arts, specifically karate. The connection between Persian calligraphy and poetry opened a window for me to a profound interest in literature, philosophy, the history of the human psyche, and eventually writing. On the other hand, martial arts provided me with valuable lessons in maintaining physical balance, personal discipline, and most importantly, respect.
Despite my willingness, I completed my university studies in civil engineering. Although I had a strong passion for studying music, my student life was a rewarding experience. Working on various civil engineering projects for several years gave me practical experience in numeracy and teamwork.
In 2011, due to the restrictive cultural and social environment in Iran, I emigrated to the Kurdistan region of Iraq, where I learned my mother tongue, Kurdish. At the same time, several of my short stories and poems were published in the Children’s Modern Literature monthly magazine (Aroosak_e_ Sokhangoo) in Iran.
In 2013, fate led me to Norway. The social security and astonishing nature of Norway provided me with enough time to learn more about myself, my desires, and the motivation to pursue my interests. During my first year of living in Oslo, I began working in a kindergarten. My experience of being and playing with children inspired me to create mixed media works involving calligraphy, painting, and later, woodworking. In the meanwhile, I became familiar with Zen practice, which allowed me to gain a perception of control over my mind and body through awareness of breath, correct sitting posture, and being always proactive.
In 2021, at the beginning of the second half of my life, I set out for La Gomera to build and experience a creative life alongside nature, which I had imagined for years.

A bit about my present:
The warm generosity of La Gomera in stone, water, wind, wood, and sunlight refreshes each day and serves as an energy and meaning for creating something new. From the very first years of living in La Gomera, the form, color, and weight of the initial parts of the palm branches captivated me. Each of them evokes a human or animal face for me. This part of the palm branch is called " Takhalageh." I have named this collection "Faces of Takhalageh." To extract these faces from the heart of the wood, I use hand tools such as a knife, chisel, saw, and sandpaper, and sign my works with my Kurdish name "ROJ"