guardian of quiet wisdom
Stillness is the first language of the wild
Size: 18 x 12 inches
Medium: Stone base with glass tiles
iNSPIRATION
During the festive season of Diwali, Goddess Laxmi is widely worshipped across homes in India including mine. In Hindu mythology, the owl is considered the ‘vahan’ or vehicle of Goddess Laxmi. An age old association about which I was curious and thus set off to explore.
The owl is associated with wisdom and discernment. The owl’s ability to see in darkness symbolizes inner clarity, the capacity to recognize truth, and the wisdom to navigate the unknown. As Lakshmi is the goddess of prosperity, this implies that true wealth requires wisdom, not just accumulation.
Because the owl is often solitary and silent, it represents a kind of inner detachment. Lakshmi’s association with it suggests that material wealth, to be beneficial, must come with vairagya (non-attachment) and responsibility.
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eXPRESSION
Keeping with the symbology symbolic significance of the owl in Hindu tradition, I have represented my mosaic owl as a quiet beacon of insight.
The owl’s eyes, assembled from shimmering tesserae, hold a depth that seems to listen as much as it sees. Blues, golds, and soft pearlescent hues flow across its form in gentle, curved patterns, catching light like fragments of moonlit silence.
Each tile has been placed with the intention to honour stillness, perception, and the subtle turning of inner awareness. The sculpture eventually becomes less a creature and more a presence—an emblem of watchfulness and the wisdom.
From its moonlit eyes, a calm remembering flows—
the kind of wisdom only deep, unhurried seeing knows