Defiant Persian Lion

This sculpture tells an extraordinary story of the power and triumph of artistic creativity in the face of adversity. Morad Tahbaz carved each element during his six-year detainment in the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Evin prison. For him, the lion stood for the extinction and destruction of wildlife habitats in his homeland, a cause for which he strove to raise awareness by founding the Wildlife Heritage Foundation in 2008. These very activities eventually led to his arrest and incarceration. The elements were intentionally created as innocent-looking shapes that would go unnoticed by the guards and authorities, only to be assembled into majestic lion forms once they made their way out of the prison walls.

"Defiant Persian Lion" is an emblem of defiance, strength, conviction, and survival. In the artist’s own words: "There is always art and light to be found even in the darkest corners."