15/10/2024

This Newroz, I will turn sixty and retire from my craft forever. I am probably the last Kurd in Kurdistan who still practices the art of toolmaking, which involves creating items like keys, locks, baskets, knives, and chains.

The past twenty years have been the most significant of my artistic life. It all began when I filled my room with my creations, especially those made from canvas and cardboard. Visitors would come to our home and say, “Let’s go to Behzad’s room.”

My first workshop was in Sanandaj, and I dedicated my life to this craft for many years. My work is such a deeply rooted art that I could continue it for the rest of my life. However, I feel sorrow, knowing that one day, I may have to abandon my room and art for life’s demands.