About

Fereidun Shokatfard is a native of Iran. He has been residing in US since 1974. His role model was his maternal grand father, who was a scholar and very much involved in mystic Sufism. He often gathered the children, played his tar, an ancient Persian string instrument and recited poems from Rumi and Hafiz, whom Fereidun loved and admired. Fereidun’s love for nature and the outdoors led him to study agriculture. He graduated from Justus Liebig University in Giessen, Germany with a Ph.D. in Agro Economics. During his graduate studies, he also studied Art at the Pedagogic Institute in Giessen. He later became a professor at Pahlavi University in Shiraz, Iran.

Thereafter he moved to Germany and as a research professor participated in projects concerning the European Common Market. Fereidun came to the United States to join his family. Based on the artwork he did in Germany, he was accepted to join as a member of the California Art Club and Scandinavian American Art Society. After working with his two brothers, who are artists, he entered the field of real estate and became a successful real estate developer.

His longing for art and writing left him unfulfilled. His dream to write and paint came to realization when he had a heart attack due to the stresses of his business activities. He decided to change his life and follow his calling.