Afghan artisan Naseer Yasna learned his craft in Iran from Hassan Khondani, an Iraqi master woodcarver, when he was only 13. Years later, back in Afghanistan, he studied traditional carving, taking inspiration from the Islamic and pre-Islamic cultures, and opened his own studio. Then he joined the charity Turquoise Mountain, where he met Hedieh Wojgani. Their different perspectives and skills complemented each other and they soon realised that, together, they were a very strong team, in art as in life. “Our goal was to contribute to the development of a high quality craft industry in Afghanistan, and help raise awareness and a sense of pride in its cultural heritage. Unfortunately, in 2016 the situation in Kabul made us decide to leave Afghanistan and relocate to London”.
Naseer Yasna & Hedieh Wojgani