Latest news with #Laleh
Wall Street Journal
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Wall Street Journal
‘The Mad Sisters of Esi' Review: On the Island of Dreams
Living in the depths of the black cosmic sea, there is a giant whale with an infinite number of worlds within its body. Wandering among them are two sisters: Laleh and Myung, neither of whom know their origins or how they wound up in the whale; only that both they and it were created by the Great Wisa. This is the mind-bending scenario dreamed up by Tashan Mehta for her unique fantasy novel 'Mad Sisters of Esi.' The book crafts a dreamlike geography on top of our conventional universe: There is an ever-changing island that constantly reinvents its features (it might also be a planet), an archive of collective memory made from song and a vortex only children can enter and leave safely. Despite the hallucinatory pileup of magical creations, the story is grounded in the emotions surrounding a real relationship between two very different sisters. While Laleh is content with her life inside the infinite whale, Myung wants to find out where they came from—and who this all-powerful Wisa is. Most of all, she longs to be among other people. She escapes the whale and becomes a sailor on the black sea, tracking down stories about Wisa until she finally arrives at an island of well-meaning ghosts and one woman, all of whom might be her relatives. There she learns about the original sisters: Wisa, who made the whale, and Magali, who made the cosmic archive of memory. Yet the magic in the village where Wisa and Magali grew up was more gentle and subtle than elsewhere; with patience one could talk to birds and learn from the trees about the great alchemists, those who lived ages before and crafted many wonders unthinkable now. The alchemists were also the ones who may have broken time for the island, causing a week of madness the inhabitants must endure every century.
Edinburgh Reporter
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Reporter
At Craigmillar Now – award winning photographer presents unseen work
A new exhibition opening on 31 May presents a selection of Laleh Sherkat's early work, taken during her studies at The University of Tehran and shortly after graduating. Laleh Sherkat (b. 1963) is an Iranian photographer living in Craigmillar. The photographs focus on the lives of women in Iran during the politically turbulent period that followed the Islamic Revolution in 1979. There are six series of work in the show: 'Women in Prison,' (1984); 'Women at Work,' taken in factories across Tehran between 1984-1988; 'Morgue Workers,' (1993), Bandari Women, (1993) and Nomad Women, (1988). There is also a selection of work taken during the last few months of the Iran-Iraq war in 1988. Laleh Sherkat said: 'I faced restrictions that my male counterparts did not, but I sought to transcend these limitations and enrich my personal and artistic experience. I have always been deeply committed to documenting the realities of women's lives and amplifying their voices—an enduring concern that lies at the heart of these bodies of work.' As a woman Laleh was able to navigate women's spaces more easily and gain the trust of female subjects. This allowed Laleh to capture women and communities that might have otherwise remained undocumented. These photographs have never been exhibited in the UK and offer audiences a rare glimpse into the life of women in Iran during the 1980s and early 90s. Laleh Sherkat is a highly accomplished Iranian photographer living in Craigmillar. She graduated with a BA in photography from Tehran University in 1989 and has won various awards for her work, including the Golden Medal for the International Asahi Shinbone Competition in 1988. Between 1991-99 Laleh held academic teaching posts at Alzahra University, Soureh University and the Faculty of Iranian Cultural Heritage. She is a member of the Press Photographers Society and Women Photographers Society in Iran. Laleh's work has been published in several magazines and the war photography book 'A Growth at Dawn.' She has exhibited widely, with several solo shows in Iran and Edinburgh as well as participation in group shows in Paris and London. Recent projects include collaborations with the Festival of Migration with Art27, the Scottish Mental Health Art Festival and Craigmillar and Niddrie Community Festival. Craigmillar Now is a community-led organisation committed to supporting people living in the greater Craigmillar area to access the arts and local history. We do this through a wide-ranging programme of creative activities, which include free-to-access arts workshops, exhibitions, film screenings and events. We host a free, weekly hot meal, prepared by local chefs and are the caretakers of a thriving community garden. Craigmillar Now also holds the local archives, which are cared for by a team of volunteers. We regularly take our collections to venues across greater Craigmillar and further afield, reaching new communities and championing local history. This exhibition has been generously funded by Creative Scotland and Hope Scott Trust. The exhibition runs from 31 May to 29 June 2025. Like this: Like Related
Time Out
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
A new gecko gallery filled with rare species is opening in Brooklyn
Brooklyn's wildest new attraction has scales, sticky feet—and may be snoozing in a sweatshirt hood. Opening early next month (tentatively, the second week of May) in East Williamsburg, the Gecko Gallery will showcase NYC's largest public collection of rare and endangered geckos—around 150 of them—all inside a single 400-square-foot basement below the McKibbin Lofts at 255 McKibbin Street. The pint-sized reptile museum is the passion project of two local biologists and lifelong animal lovers, Richie Laleh, 29, and Joseph S. Migirov, 19, who say their fascination with geckos started as kids. 'Where some people look past them, we share a common fascination,' Laleh tells Time Out. 'Geckos are some of the most diverse animals in the world.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Gecko Gallery NYC (@thegeckogallery_nyc) What began as a private collection in their Brooklyn apartments has now evolved into a public venue, following encouragement from building management to open the space to the public. Visitors can expect to see show-stealers like the nearly extinct Madagascar leaf-tailed gecko, a giant day gecko (yes, the Geico one), and a cuddly New Caledonian giant gecko named Kermit, who's been known to nap in Laleh's hoodie. The geckos are sourced from zoos, licensed breeders and occasionally through wild rescues, with the goal of strengthening captive gene pools and promoting conservation. 'We envision a future where our efforts bring often overlooked species into the spotlight,' Laleh says. Though small in size, the Gecko Gallery is big on mission: education, conservation and sparking a little wonder. Tickets are $20, and the duo is already booking visits from curious school groups and local colleges. With its mix of science, spectacle and pure gecko charm, this quirky basement menagerie might just become your new favorite rainy-day spot.
