Morad Tahbaz's Drawings

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After two years of horrific treatment, multiple hospitalizations, and minimal communication, Morad was transferred to Block 4 of Evin—in theory the facility for “white collar” criminals. To stave off boredom and keep his mind and body active, Morad developed a full daily program for himself, which included morning exercise followed by a visit to the small, quiet library. He didn’t have much to read, as the library books were all in Farsi. Eventually, he was able to smuggle in a book he had published himself: Iran: Crossroads of Wildlife—a coffee table-style collection of photographs.

Though he hadn’t done any drawing in years, he began sketching wildlife from images he saw in the lines of the prison walls, memory, and the pages in the book. At first, he struggled with form and dimension, but it came back to him as he practiced. Much of the time, after looking at a particular picture, he would close his eyes and imagine himself in the presence of that animal. Slowly, he began producing pen and ink drawings on simple white copy paper.

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Morad Tahbaz's Drawings

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Asiatic Cheetah

Western Marsh Harrier

Goitered Gazelle

Urial Sheep

Bezoar Ibex

Chinkara Gazelle

Black Kite

Red Fox

Persian Leopard

Eurasian Eagle-Owl

Kerman Wild Sheep

Persian Leopard

Transcaspian Urial Wild Sheep

Isfahan Wild Sheep

Persian Leopard

Laristan Wild Sheep

Armenian Mouflon

Bezoar Ibex

Asiatic Cheetah

Striped Hyena

Asiatic Cheetah

Arabian Gazelle

Persian Fallow Deer and Fawn

Caracal

Bearded Vulture

Red Fox

Sand Cat

Pallas’s Cat

Jungle Cat

Asiatic Wildcat

Blanford’s Fox

Syrian Brown Bear

Caracal

Goitered Gazelle

Barbary Falcon

Asiatic Wolf

Caspian Red Stag

Eurasian Wild Boar

Eurasian Lynx

European Roe Deer

Eurasian Lynx

Ruppell’s Fox

Caspian Red Deer

Caspian Red Stag

Eurasian Wild Boar

Eurasian Lynx

Caracal

Caspian Red Stag

Shiraz Wild Sheep

Syrian Brown Bear

Caspian Red Stag

Asiatic Wild Ass, Persian Onager

Goitered Gazelle

Persian Fallow Deer

Persian Lion and Cub

Caspian Red Stag

Persian Lioness

Persian Lioness

Persian Lioness

Persian Lioness

Persian Lioness

Persian Lioness

Persian Lion and Lioness

Persian Leopard

Little Owl

Persian Leopard

Persian Lioness and Cubs

Asiatic Cheetah

Goitered Gazelle

Persian Lioness and Cubs

Asiatic Cheetahs

Caspian Red Stags

Caspian Tiger

Persian Lioness and Cubs

Persian Lion and Lioness

Persian Lion

Persian Lions

Persian Lion and Cub