Tell me about you, as an artist. How do you define art? What art do you make?

I am a poet, author, musician, sculptor and performer. I have published 5 books, 2 of which were published underground because the Iranian government did not give permission for them to be published. I have a degree in music and was a senior member of the House of Music of Iran. In the UK, I have been working with Commonword, CAN, Manchester Museum, Manchester Art Gallery, Whitworth Art Gallery and DIPACT. I also did some work with an Iranian Art Group ‘Dorna’ based in Manchester.

Art means the birth of thoughts, giving new meanings to words, objects and everything. It means the power of creation. Art is having a light in your hand and a light in your heart for giving an awakening and light to the people. Art can lift the heavy weight of wrong beliefs and being held captive, from people’s shoulders. The creation of art pieces with an important message can change people’s beliefs and lives, lead them to freedom.

You are one of the selected writers for Commonword’s #snaplyrical instapoetry project. What have you found most interesting and challenging about digitising your work? How do you think creating work on Instagram will benefit you as a creative?

I was always so involved in my art that I did not have time to introduce myself and my works in social media, even though I preferred to leave my mind empty for my writings and art pieces. I preferred to spend time on self-examination. With the support of organisations like Commonword, I started to appear in social media automatically and now I am thankful, because I could have more communication with my audience and this gives me energy and courage to continue my way which is hard. The only challenge I have is that I don’t have time to answer to all of their messages.

You have had several poetry books published and play several musical instruments? What themes do your poetry collections explore? How do you fuse your poetry and music together? What do you enjoy most about working with a variety of forms when you are making art?

Yes, I am proud to say that this year I was involved in 7 projects and different parts of Journeys Festival International that I enjoyed a lot and they were highly successful. It was great for me to meet artists with different cultures and languages, and again I could give the lost voices a voice to be heard by the world.  The voices of the people that instead of them, I am breathing, crying, laughing, dancing, playing, singing and dying. After my performances, when people hug me with love and sometimes tears in their eyes and tell me their feedback, the feeling of being understood and appreciated is something I can’t put it in words. There are also challenges and I always seen the positive side and I believe challenges makes me stronger.

The themes of my work are society, human rights and women’s rights. Generally, the themes liken to the voices that can’t be heard, awareness and awakening, opening the chains of isolation from humans, peace, friendship and having hope, love and light.

When I think of how I connect my different art forms such as music, singing, poetry, stone, calligraphy etc. I have to say these forms are already connected. I have experience in all of them and that’s why when I create a piece of work, it tells me when and where they should come together like a volcano that suddenly explodes because of heat and the lava comes from me. Sometimes they bump into water and sea and get a shape, sometimes they bump to sky, earth etc. Each of them gets a different form such as poem, music, sculpture and in reality, they choose their form not me.

If you could offer a piece of advice to your younger self about being in the arts industry, what would it be?

I will say well done, you did not waste a second in your life and you didn’t live without a purpose. I will say go, don’t be scared, never give up and never let judgments and words make you weak. Just watch and keep looking. This is a movie called life, you write the scenario and never let anyone else write it for you. I will say this to make your soul bigger and make your heart full of love. Move and never stay in one place because if water stays in one place, it will stink.

Where can we find your work?

I put my work on Facebook, Instagram and the organisations that I worked with:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/firoozeh.fuzuni

Latest projects

Instagram: #SnapLyrical

Journeys Festival International:

https://www.journeysfestival.com/mcr4objects

Traveling Heritage Bureau:

https://www.travellingheritagebureau.com/#/firoozeh-fozouni/

What does the future hold for you in your writing career?

I am like flowing water that is running and starting to transform. I made myself free in my own natural feelings. I think because I take art seriously, time and the future will also take me seriously as a true and deserving artist. I will have a bright future. By being here, I stayed and achieved my place. I have paid a big price for my values and I am sure the future and life will bring me rewards.

Sum up your experience thus far in one word

Love.