Winged Subjugation

This tondo reimagines a round Russian Orthodox ecclesiastical carpet, depicting a crowned double-headed eagle poised to attack a solitary white peacock. Traditionally, these sacred carpets symbolize either the unity of church and state (through the eagle) or the promise of eternal life and individual spirituality (through the peacocks). By bringing these symbols into conflict, the piece highlights the intense emotional weight of religious indoctrination.

Within Russian Orthodoxy, ecclesiastical carpets sanctify spaces for bishops during ritual processions, reinforcing the authority of the institution and priest. However, in this painting, the eagles’ talons hover in poised aggression over the helpless peacock, reframing this carpet’s symbology as the church imposing its belief systems on people. Indoctrination here is not a revelation but rather a coercive act that stifles individuality and critical thought.

The composition conveys the isolating, vulnerable experience of losing oneself to religious dogma, cornered by an institution that demands submission. It invites viewers to empathize with the visceral emotions of being controlled, limited, and stripped of spiritual autonomy.