Morad Tahbaz’s Artwork
Morad’s art gives shape to ideas of identity, captivity, freedom and renewal.
Working across drawing, painting, sculpture and design, he uses spare forms, exacting materials and symbolic encounters between people and animals to make complex experiences visible.
His lifelong passion for wildlife remains a powerful source of inspiration. During confinement, art helped Morad protect his inner life, preserve a sense of self and continue imagining a world beyond the walls around him. Since returning home, that creative practice has continued to deepen and evolve.
This collection reflects both the resilience of the human spirit and the enduring power of artistic expression.
Inspiration
The following imagery served as a source of inspiration and a sense of kinship for Morad while imprisoned:
The Cypress Tree
Symbolism of the Cypress Tree
The Persian Lion
Symbolism of the Persian Lion
The Caspian Tiger
Symbolism of the Caspian Tiger
Morad's Works of Art
Symbolism of the Cyprus Tree
In Zoroastrianism, the Cypress tree is associated with the winter solstice, (the night of Yalda). Cypress trees would be decorated with colored ribbons and ornaments to celebrate the end of long nights and longer, lighter days ahead—of light overcoming darkness. It is believed that this practice is the origin of the Christmas tree.
In Persian culture, the cypress tree is a symbol of immortality, beauty, freedom, and good fortune and has many design variations. Western culture is most familiar with paisley (boteh jeqqeh in Persian), which symbolizes a cypress tree with its top bent in the wind.
Relief sculptures of the cypress tree can still be seen in the ruins of Persepolis, the ancient symbolic capital of the Persian Empire during the reign of the Achaemenids, 559–330 BCE. According to Zoroastrian lore, a sample of the cypress tree was brought from Paradise by the prophet Zoroaster himself and given to the legendary Persian Kayanid King Goshtasp to celebrate his conversion to Zoroastrianism. Legend has it that Goshtasp’s son-in-law planted it in the town of Kashmar, in Khorasan province, where it still stands at 4,500 years old and 100 feet tall.
The significance of the cypress tree carried over from Zoroastrian times into the Islamic era. It can be seen as a motif throughout Iranian history in art and architecture. The trees are ever-present in the classical Persian miniature paintings, oil paintings, and drawings. Today, cypress trees can be found at monuments and in gardens dedicated to Iran’s famous poets, Hafiz, Saadi, and Khayam.
Symbolism of the Persian Lion
A symbol of power, bravery, virility, ferocity, opulence, and majesty—a protector of its pride and a ruthless killer, the Persian lion is of immense importance in Iranian history and culture. Its image can be seen in the stone reliefs of Persepolis from 2,500 years ago. Before the revolution of 1979, it was the central emblem in the national flag. This magnificent animal has been etched into Morad’s mind.
In 2016, Iranian Sculptor Parviz Tanavoli’s exhibition, “Lions of Iran” took up the entire Museum of Contemporary Art of Tehran. The Persian Wildlife Foundation participated in the exhibition, discussing the slow extinction of Iran’s big cats. In his solitary cell, Morad’s thoughts would often wander to the lion and how the creature must feel in captivity. As soon as he was allowed to have paper and a pen, he began drawing lions, sketching over 100 images in pen and ink.
Symbolism of the Caspian Tiger
The Caspian tiger, like the Persian lion, holds a significant place in Iranian conservation history. Once an apex predator inhabiting the forested regions bordering the Caspian Sea, it was notorious for its size and ferocity. Distinguishable by its numerous stripes, more than those of the Bengal tiger, the Caspian tiger fell victim to extensive hunting, particularly by Russian military forces in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The last confirmed sighting was in 1958, marking its tragic extinction. Efforts at reintroduction using genetically similar Siberian tigers in 2009–2010 proved unsuccessful. The Caspian Tiger's story serves as a poignant reminder of the fragility of wildlife and the consequences of human intervention in natural habitats.