Mahmoud Keshavarz, Iran

"Stockholm gives you a feeling that you are part of the world."

Name: Mahmoud Keshavarz
Age: 25 years
From: Shiraz, Iran
Lives: Sundbyberg, big one-room-flat
Studies: Experience Design 2 year master program at Konstfack, year 1.

What did you study before you came to Konstfack?
- I studied Industrial design in Teheran in Iran.

How is Stockholm different to other cities?
- When it comes to art and design, Stockholm has much to offer. There are more galleries and exhibitions here than in other smaller cities.

- Stockholm gives you a feeling that you’re part of the world.

- I like that people in Sweden care about social and cultural values.

- Because Stockholm is the capital of Sweden it gives you more chances. For example, I got a library card at a different university from Konstfack so that I could borrow books from their library as well as from Konstfack’s. You wouldn’t be able to do that in a smaller city with only one university.

How did you find a place to live in Stockholm?
- My apartment actually belongs to my father’s friend, but if I want to change my place it wouldn’t be a problem. I could get a place to live through friends. Like on my school email, if I would check it now I would probably have two or three emails about apartments for rent.

- No one I know really have a problem with finding an apartment.

- When you get in to the life here in Stockholm you can easily find a place to live.

Why did you choose to study at Konstfack?
- To me, Konstfack is not really a school. It’s more like you are in a field of different art or design firms.

- Konstfack is a good place for people who know their own way.

- Konstfack allows you to challenge yourself.

- The first reason why I chose Konstfack was because I wanted to experience a different thing and many of my Swedish friends had told me that Konstfack was a good school.

What do you want to do when you graduate from Konstfack?
- I want to continue my education. Possibly with a PhD at some art school here in Sweden.

What is experience design?
- Experience design is kind of a new knowledge. It is about designing experiences more than products. How do you design the experience of happiness through a mug, for example?

- There isn’t any course like experience design. In my class we have people from a lot of different fields, not only from art.

- To study experience design, you should know what you want to do. Experience design is a way of thinking that you can adapt to other areas.

Do you have any job outside of school?
- In an artist school like Konstfack, you work all the time, so it’s hard for artist students to work outside of school.

- I will try to get a job over the summer.

- I will apply for a scholarship here at Konstfack.
What’s your favourite place in Stockholm?

- Kulturhuset (the Culture house). Kulturhuset always has three or four exhibitions going on, there are lectures and a big library of comic strips. It also has a very nice view of the city.

- If I’m in the city doing something I can just go to Kulturhuset and grab a cup of coffee.

What did you think about before coming to Sweden?
- Before I came to Sweden and Stockholm, I thought it would be much harder than it was. I thought it would be hard because of being in a different society, and of course my friends and relatives were talking all the time about the weather in Sweden. I didn’t and don’t care about the weather, because it should be like that. It should be something different, because I came here to experience other things, not the same things that are in my country. The weather is part of that.

- I needed this kind of place to think. Stockholm is a good place to do some thinking. It’s calm. You have the chance to sit and think more instead of talking a lot.

What do you miss?
- I miss moments with my family and friends, and moments of walking down a street in my hometown.

What’s a good way to meet people outside of school in Sweden?
- It is easy to make friends in Stockholm. For example, you can go to a place with people who have the same interests as you and meet new friends there.

Interview: Mimmi Toreheim
Photo: Mahmoud Keshavarz

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