The Xtra Diary - Jill George Gallery visits Iran to view art for new exhibition

Published: 14 May, 2010

Khosro Khosravi in his studio with his painting Silent (above)

IRAN is a country that perplexes.
Libertarians might not have it down as a top holiday destination but take a closer look and it becomes apparent that at least some of the country is worthy of a glossy brochure.
One Soho gallery has heard about this other portal away from the mullahs and veils and sent an intrepid employee out to Tehran to borrow their artistic riches for a remarkable new exhibition.

David Gleeson spent five days in the capital city, discovering the thriving art scene and selecting paintings for the Jill George Gallery. There is no overarching theme to the works but many explore the social and political tensions of the last year and the ever changing role of women since the revolution.
It is uncharted territory for a commercial gallery.

Mr Gleeson told Diary it was a trip of a lifetime. “Tehran is a spectacular place, one of the most enjoyable places I’ve ever visited. It’s polluted and overcrowded but energetic, friendly and has a rich art scene,” he said.
The seven featured artists are Masoumeh Bakhtiary, Marzieh Bagheri, Azadeh Baluchi, Samira Exkandarfar, Khosro Khosravi, Hamed Sahihi and Mohammad Mehid Tabatabaie.
• From Tehran to London: New Painting from Iran will be at Jill George Gallery, Lexington Street, Soho from May 20 to June 20. Admission free.

Axel’s Gruff guide

Literature’s most popular mythical creature is coming to Marylebone.
The frightening but cute Gruffalo, he of the eponymous children’s book, will adorn the walls of Daunt Books later this month for a one off exhibition by the man who created the monster, Axel Scheffler. And Diary reckons the queues of worried looking parents will be snaking down Marylebone High Street because the pieces are for sale.

We dread to think what they will charge, but expect to rethink your summer holiday plans should you be tempted.
Mr Scheffler teamed up with writer Julia Donaldson to illustrate the Gruffalo in 1999.
It has sold millions of copies, and Scheffler has been widely praised for being able to capture the imagination of so many children without being the stuff of nightmares.

The exhibition runs from May 26 to June 6.
On Monday May 29 Mr Scheffler will be signing copies of his book.

Girls battle it out at the home of cricket

St John’s Wood welcomed dozens of girls’ cricket teams to Lord’s this week. Schoolchildren from across the country battled it out at the home of cricket (well they were actually in the indoor centre) to claim the Lady Taverners trophy.
Unsurprisingly, given the lack of wickets in London, the capital did not have a representative among the finalists, although schools were involved earlier on in the competition.
Ex-England captain Rachael Heyhoe-Flint, president of the Lady Taverners said: “Women’s cricket is growing all the time and it’s fantastic to be able to support these young players.”