In this episode, John Knopf sits down with visionary artist Parin Heidari for a conversation that journeys from her childhood in Tehran, Iran, to the front lines of the digital art revolution. Parin shares a candid look at her life, starting with growing up in a vibrant, loving culture that starkly contrasts with Western media portrayals. She details her non-linear path to becoming a full-time artist, from defying family expectations of an engineering career to quitting a successful but restrictive job in advertising to find her soul again by teaching English in Italy.
Parin offers a rare glimpse into her unique creative process, explaining how her ability to draw with both hands simultaneously (ambidextrously) helped her overcome perfectionism. She also discusses her synesthesia, a neurological trait that allows her to perceive music and voices as shapes and colors, which directly influences her one-of-a-kind, continuous-line drawings.
The conversation dives deep into the dramatic highs and devastating lows of her Web3 journey. Parin recounts the moment her art was featured on the OpenSea front page, leading to a sold-out collection that enabled her to fulfill a lifelong dream of funding humanitarian projects in Iran. She then opens up about the emotional turmoil of being banned from the platform due to sanctions against her home country and, more recently, falling victim to a sophisticated hack that cost her a wallet full of cherished art and memories. This is a powerful story of resilience, adaptation, and the unwavering belief in community.
