White Deer
Since ancient times, deer have appeared in various settings and have been adored as "sacred messengers" and "divine creatures." In recent years in Japan, it has been said that due to factors such as global warming, forestry, and resort development, the number of deer has continuously increased. Deer appearing in human residential areas are called "lost deer" (迷い鹿). Contemporary Japanese artist Kohei Nawa has collected various forms of deer, digitizing them through 3D scanning to create the "White Deer" design.
Following the Great East Japan Earthquake, the local economy was severely impacted, and it was against this backdrop that the White Deer series was born. Kohei Nawa was invited by the Reborn Art Festival in Miyagi Prefecture in 2017 to create "White Deer (Oshika)." The white deer stand on the land of Ishinomaki City in Miyagi Prefecture, which was affected by the earthquake, gazing towards "the origin of the journey" in Inujima, Seto Inland Sea, symbolizing a prayer for recovery from the disaster in the affected areas.
The shape of the White Deer varies slightly according to its installation location. For…