Japan Art and Deer: The Four Winds of Buddhism

The contemporary Japanese artist Sawako Utsumi is paying homage to Nakamura Hochu. However, she depicts the deer – inspired by the Edo Period artist Nakamura Hochu – in a different light. 

This concerns a very different color scheme. Also, Sawako Utsumi creates a Buddhist angle – even though it is invisible.

A poem by Kobayashi Issa (Edo Period) highlights the Buddhist angle concerning the thought patterns of Sawako Utsumi.

His four children died in infancy. However, in Pure Land Buddhism (which gave Kobayashi Issa hope even during the darkness), transience isn’t negative – when extended to the bigger picture of life.

On the contrary, it leads to the sole hope of rescue (on Amida Buddha).

Kobayashi Issa wrote:

Amida Buddha watches
them scatter …
cherry blossoms

Written by Lee Jay Walker

https://fineartamerica.com/featured/deer-and-the-four-winds-in-japan-sawako-utsumi.html Deer and the Four Winds in Japan

https://fineartamerica.com/featured/japanese-deer-and-the-four-winds-sawako-utsumi.html Deer and the Four Winds