Parviz Tanavoli, the Iranian artist known for pioneering a new kind of Pop art in Iran, has been unable to travel to London after having his passport confiscated by Iranian authorities, The Art Newspaper reports. The artist was to give two talks: one at the British Museum, of which his book European Women in Persian Houses (2016) was the main focus, and the other a discussion on the role of the lion in Persian culture at Asia House. Tanavoli, who spends time working between Vancouver and Tehran, is still unaware about why he was denied travel to London. The Iranian embassy in London refused to comment.
8 July 2016