Contemporary Japanese Artist: Faith, Nature, and the Deer

Sawako Utsumi is a contemporary artist from northern Japan. In this artwork, she dramatically reimagines the coloration of the deer, subtly reflecting a Shinto perspective. While the spiritual element isn’t overt, it draws on the traditional belief in Shintoism that deer serve as messengers of the gods (or Kami).

The BBC says, “Kami as a property is the sacred or mystical element in almost anything. It is in everything and is found everywhere, and is what makes an object itself rather than something else. The word means that which is hidden.”

In the Shinto faith, kami possess a life-giving and harmonizing power known as musubi, as well as a sincere and truthful will called makoto.

Written by Lee Jay Walker

https://fineartamerica.com/featured/deer-and-the-sacred-kami-sawako-utsumi.html?newartwork=trueDeer and the Sacred Kami