‘Taking The Peacock for a Walk’ 2026
Mixed media on canvas
120 x 150cm

This artwork was loosely inspired by a photo from a book I have that always stood out to me; an image of Frederick “Freck” Vreeland, a former U.S. diplomat, CIA agent and son of iconic fashion editor Diana Vreeland. He spent a lot of time living in Morocco and had a riad in Marrakech - the photo shows Freck in his riad with his pet camel Jameela.

I’ve always loved the feel of this image. It also reminds me of the golden era of film, where movies like Casablanca romanticised Morocco and North Africa. Peacocks would often wander around riads and gardens too, seen as a symbol of beauty and wealth, often brought over through old trade routes from India.