A celebrated Iranian-Canadian sculptor is back in Vancouver this morning after authorities in Iran confiscated his passport.
Parviz Tanavoli arrived at the Vancouver International Airport on Monday, saying he still has no complete idea what prompted the incident, but he’s happy it’s over.
Tanavoli was barred from leaving Iran while trying to board a plane from Tehran to London two weeks ago.
He posted on Facebook that he tried unsuccessfully to resolve the issue at Iran’s main passport office.
Tanavoli said last week that Iranian officials had received a complaint that his art work was “disturbing public opinion” and “spreading lies,” which he dismissed as “baseless.”
He is considered one of the greatest living artists of the Middle East and has called Vancouver home since 1989.
-With files from The Canadian Press