Indian Peacock

The peacock is the vahana of Karthikeya - the God who conquers vices - and represents the six vices - sex, anger, greed, passion, ego, and jealousy.

The majestic form of the peacock is elegantly captured in this geometric, bold rendition. The viewer’s gaze is directed towards the peacock’s plumes where the six identical segments along the upper circumference of the plumes represent the six vices. The abundance of form and pattern in the illustration suggests the hedonistic qualities the peacock embodies.

Although the expansive form of the peacock contains an element of vitality and arrogance, the symmetry of form plays on the idea of balance, signifying that the bird, along with its vices, can be brought under control.