with Nioosha Vaezzadeh Angoshtarsaz
“We’re living in a time where almost everything is just a click away—materials, tools, equipment, even instructions on how to learn a new skill. If you want to learn something, you can simply search YouTube and find countless tutorial videos. If you need materials, you can order whatever you want from Amazon and have it delivered from anywhere in the world.
But not everyone has access to these privileges, at least not where I come from. In Iran, internet access is limited. People have been cut out from the internet for many months and even when it’s available, you need a VPN. There’s no access to Amazon or global markets because of sanctions. The economy is struggling and planning for the future is difficult because of inflation. It’s a different world but people still live, and people still create.
In our culture, we have a concept called ghenaat. I could not find a perfect translation for it, but it carries meanings like simplicity, frugality, moderation and contentment. It is about living happily with what you have and using it in a way that makes it last. Historically, we applied ghenaat to essentials like water and bread. Because water is in short supply in our country, we learned to treat it with care and respect. Over time, the ghenaat mindset extended to other aspects of life.
I think it’s a valuable practice to sometimes place ourselves in situations where resources are limited. When materials and tools are little, creativity often steps in to fill the gaps.
You might ask, why should we practice this? Because we don’t know what the future holds. With everything happening in the world, wars, political Issues and climate change – uncertainty is part of our reality.
To give you a more tangible example: a fire can take everything away in a second. That happened to us in Idar-Oberstein. We lost our university, our workshops and our materials. But we didn’t lose hope. We adapted. We started creating in new ways, without relying on fully equipped workshops. We explored alternatives. For example, we had a great workshop with Maria Kunapp,where we learned how to use rotary tools to continue working with stone.
There is always a way to create.
And that brings me to this workshop.”
The workshop
In this special two-part workshop in May 2026, we’re going to intentionally place ourselves in a situation of limitation, practicing ghenaat, turning limitations into opportunities. Because no matter the circumstances, there is always a way.
Nioosha will guide students in accessible techniques such as cutting, shaping, and polishing, as well as tool-making as the need arises. The learning will happen hands-on, as students work on their own pieces. As we are limited in time, materials, and equipment, we make limitations the main focus of the workshop, and build meaning around them.
Students are invited to keep ghenaat in the back of their mind throughout the sessions.
Students will work with pre-cut stones or stones that already have simple, basic shapes along with other materials.
Artist bio
In Nioosha Vaezzadeh Angoshtarsaz’s words:
“I’m an Iranian jewelry artist based in Germany. I have a bachelor in restoration of historical building and a master of jewelry design from Germany, Idar-Oberstein. I mostly work with stones as the material and my work draws inspiration from my personal experiences of mistreatment and discrimination as a woman, experiences that have profoundly sharpened my awareness of how deeply these injustices are embedded in everyday life.
I grew up in a society that refuses to define a woman’s identity on its own terms, viewing it instead as inherently complementary to men. Through my art, I confront and expose the persistent reinforcement of inequality. I allow my pieces to speak where words often fail. When someone wears a ring from my Balls collection, they hold a sculpted form of male balls in their hand, as if having control over it. This act creates a symbolic reversal, a moment in which power shifts, forcing the wearer to question who normally possesses such control.
I also explore the paradox within religion in my work, using it as a central concept to question its contradictions. how religion can claim to carry messages of love, compassion, and peace, while also being associated with acts of violence and oppression especially against women. In some of my works, I shape forms that resemble the female body, bleeding, vulnerable. For example, in the necklace related to stoning, the overall form evokes a bleeding female organ, while the use of stones matching the size of those used in acts of stoning intensifies the contradiction between proclaimed messages of compassion and the reality of violence. Through this, the piece becomes a site of conflict a body under pressure, a silent yet urgent call for justice, and a struggle that longs for an end.”
