To be Niusha Khanmohammadi

From: Kostandin Feshti

Editor in Chief: Santana Çomora

Photographer: Kostandin Feshti

Graphic Design: Kostandin Feshti

When I met Niusha for the first time, it was November, a Thursday evening, the start of an artistic event with various international literature. At a certain moment, my eyes caught a girl dressed very stylishly, with black curls that could not go unnoticed. I approached her and  first complimented her on the bag she was carrying that night, secondly, her smile, and then we ended our first everfirst-ever conversation complimenting each other's personalities. Even though it was the first time we had come across one another, our convo, it felt like it wasn’t the first between us. I believe that all those who know Niusha personally would agree with me when I say that her radiant and energetic personality is rare in the world we live in today, so when you spot one, recognize it.

During our meet-ups throughout November and continuous virtual conversations, I realized that I was not talking to an ordinary girl, but to a true artist. Niusha Khanmohammadi is an author, painter, art connoisseur and promoter of the power and talent of women artists. Born in a small Swedish town, Sandviken, but of Iranian origin, Niusha has felt unique since her childhood, as she herself says: "Both parents are from Iran and at that time I was almost the only child that looked (and was) different in the city. I didn't play hockey like most other kids, but I did learn the violin. I grew up with the classic attempt to fit in within the idea of ​​being a “good smalltown girl”, but I couldn't, I was never a smalltown girl. I wasn't blond, I liked to write and draw, while others enjoyed their sports and winter, which I'm still not used to."

The ambition to embrace the uniqueness that she possessed, led Niusha to establish her first business, at only 18 years old. Creating children's books by photographing different flowers and greenery, then editing them by color coding and placing information to make children's connection with nature easier, was one of Niusha's first ideas. But as creative as Niusha could be, it didn't help her with the feeling of belonging and being "at home", both neither in Sweden and in Iran: "I always felt like I was missing out on the rest of the world and I couldn't wait to see it. My small town was not the home of my soul and although it was safe  and materialistically complementary, emotionally, not at all. Every summer we visited Iran as a family and I loved it, but I never really fit in there either as well. I wanted to stay, but that was not an option. As the years passed, it became more difficult. I struggled to find who I was, and why I didn't really belong in any of the worlds familiar to me. I always knew I had to leave and find my own way, make my own way. And so I did. Many, many countries and cities later I found a home for my heart, Istanbul."

But, her life as an artist, various collaborations, work with "UN Women", the European Union and the Swedish Administration have placed Niusha in permanent mobility, and it is precisely this, the reason [NK4] that brought the author for the first time in Albania, back in 2022.

Here begins our interview with the beloved contemporary artist, Niusha Khanmohammadi.

Niusha, when I first met you, I couldn’t help being drawn in from by your radiating energy and that’s a fact. Tell me, is that a trait shaped family-wise or has life in its totality built you this way?

It is fantastic to have reached a point in life understanding where I understand that this is a good thing as a characteristic, and I can only say the same about you! I’d say this definitely runs within the family and my younger brother is even slightly more energetic (and charming, I have to admit) than me. It was pushed down quite a lot in my early years though, by the society and small town environment I grew up in. It is only later in life I’ve learned to embrace it and with that, I think it has built up more and more within me, which I am very happy about. It attracts more and more beautiful people into my life.

You are an artist in its full meaning. You’ve showcased your amazing drawings, written many articles, worked with different administrations and all, and now, a book is coming in spring [NK5] of this year, 2025. What can you share with us about it?

I do love being creative, nothing I do is planned, it is intuitive. It just happens, and so was the case with the book. It started as personal notes once I moved back to Sweden after many years abroad. I have to admit I wasn’t happy about it, but the job was interesting and a good opportunity to work with other creatives, so I took it. I am very glad about that today, after all, it did bring me to Albania. Adapting to the calm, planned life of Stockholm was difficult. I started to write little poems to about Istanbul that I missed so much, the city which I had lived in for over a year just before moving. My father always says that cities are soulful beings, created by humans, we leave traces of ourselves within the borders we create and live inside of. So, missing my one true love - Istanbul, my poems gradually became love letters. Again, trying to adapt to Stockholm, I started to write to Stockholm as well. I’m sure you can image imagine there were no love letter letters to Stockholm exactly, haha. I started to write more and more as it helped me process the move. I wrote to other cities I’ve lived in and been to, and so a dialogue between old friends started. It was about a year after, when I had hundreds of these letters, that a good friend of mine said this could be something more, and I trusted him. So, I started to re-write the letters as short stories and portraited portrayed the cities as soulful beings, accompanying it them with my drawings as well. It all came together after more than two years, a novel about love and sorrow and hate and lust, a poetic dialogue between the traveler and the relationships building between the different cities.

What does being an artist mean to you? How important is it to draw, write, research, converse? What would you do without it?

That’s a good question. For me, being an artist, is about speaking your truth and letting yourself be who you are. Creating is one of many ways of expressing yourself and getting to know oneself yourself as we you grow and change. For me, it is such an important part of my everyday life. By creating, whatever it is, I get to understand how I actually am feeling on that day, I get to process parts of life - both good and bad, and it helps me understand life even more. I don’t think I would be me if I couldn’t do this, and I am grateful for having the ways and means to do and be just that. Freedom of expression, is a fundamental right we should not take for granted.

What is one thing Niusha hasn’t done yet, but is longing to do it?

Designing and making jewelry, and fashion! I do love jewels and have always been into textiles and accessories. I have so many ideas that are now just on paper, so turning them into actual pieces that I (and others) get to wear is a the next step, a very exiting exciting one for me actually.

Now, let me ask you a little about Albania. When was your first time visiting the country? And we definitely want to know the reason of for doing so as well.

One thing leads to another, you never know, truly! I first came to Albania in September 2022, and I immediately loved it. It was a business trip, working with cultural development, I visited partners and had planned a few workshops on copyrighting. When I left, I couldn’t wait to come back.

First impressions matter. Share yours.

I felt like I already knew Tirana, the city really spoke to me right away. I remember my first evening very well. I went for a long walk and found a cozy bar along the boulevard. and sat down with my, had a drink, and just looked at people passing. I was smiling the whole time. The city stroke struck me as so beautiful, open, and lively. A place where you cannot just see, but also feel that there is a lot of history, and longing and excitement. People are friendly and the country, now that I’ve gotten to explore the north and south, is just magical. I am not the typical scandi-nature-loving -girl, but both the Albanian mountains and beaches really got me.

From what we’ve communicated with each-other, you come and go very often. In a way Albania is becoming like that holiday home that you don’t visit as much, but every time you do, it feels good. Would you ever consider living here for a long period of time?

I am so glad I get to spend so much time in Albania. The going back and forth is now a huge part of who I am and the life I want to live. I don’t really see myself living permanently anywhere, based somewhere yes, but that is different. In Albania, I’ve come to create a home, and a beautiful community of inspiring people. I’d love to spend more time here, and I am sure I will.

I am really curios curious to know about one major like and one major dislike when it comes to our country.

Perhaps Albania and I have something in common, the feeling of wanting to catch-upcatch up on the time we missed out on. Having lived under a cloud of [NK6] isolation for some time, we can’t wait to get going. I am not sure what it is, but in Albania, I feel like people are always on it. Whatever idea you have or whatever you want to do, people smile and say “sure”, spontaneous and exitedexcited. “Hajde, let’s go.” I also love that no one is on time, ever, because neither am I, haha. Tirana is insane when it comes to traffic though. Not even Istanbul is this mad! I do wish I could get around the country to explore more, without needing a car. I look forward to seeing more trains and bussesbuses. I wish it was a bit easier to explore the country, I still have so much to see!

Any resemblance with Istanbul?

Definitely, Tirana feels like Istanbul’s little sister. A lot of energy, beautiful, sunny and loud, and with so many stories to tell. The spontaneity, the food, the common use of certain words, obviously the traffic too, and constantly so much going on! All does really remind me of that city.

Favorite albanian dish you’ve had the opportunity to try so far?

Oh, Albanians, you guys really know your meat and I do appreciate that, haha.

Lastly, what does the future hold for our Niusha Khanmohammadi? Perhaps, what would you want for the future to hold in store?

More of life! To continue to meet new beautiful people like yourself, travel to see more new places, new exiting exciting projects, creating create more and sharing share it with the world. Those of us who have the privilege of getting to move around and explore, should never take it for granted. That’s all!

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