Orbit of Deceit

Year : 2022
Dimension : 39 × 20 × 10 cm (Height × Length × Depth)
Weight : 120 grams
Edition Size : Unique piece
Artist : Mahmood Rafati
Material : Natural wood, paint, broken ceramic, bead
Technique : Mixed media with conceptual assemblage

Description: A serpentine curve rises from the ground—deceptively elegant—toward a defenseless bird perched above. The contrast between predator and innocence narrates a quiet violence: one that coils unseen until it strikes. Orbit of Deceit is both a sculptural moment and a moral metaphor.

“Orbit of Deceit” tells a story of seduction, exploitation, and helplessness through opposing forms and deceptive aesthetics. This tall and slender sculpture rises in a twisting, unstable spiral—like a serpent approaching an unsuspecting bird, perched at the top in stillness.

The curving wooden body suggests a winding, misleading path—the path of manipulation. The bird, carved with a fragile simplicity, evokes the vulnerability of innocence. The warm tones and polished textures contrast sharply with the dark concept, emphasizing that deceit often arrives wearing beauty.

Small ornamental beads at the base act like the echoes of past victims—those who have already fallen prey to the same invisible threat. The visual tension between motion and pause, between the rising predator and the static prey, freezes a moment before destruction.

From a symbolic standpoint, this piece transcends the idea of a single victim and trickster. Instead, it captures a cyclical system of deception—one that begins low and creeps upward, eventually devouring those perched at the top. In this artist’s world, deceit is not just an act—it is a structured pattern, a dangerous architecture of control wrapped in elegance