In Swan Bench, Kogachi synthesises traditional Japanese motifs with a deeply personal meditation on spiritual awakening. A central wooden bench, sculpted with the graceful curves of two swans (hakucho) anchors the scene. Within nihon bunka (Japanese culture), the swan is spiritually revered as a symbol of ever-lasting love, devotion, purity and grace. Subtlety rendered in the bench is a facial silhouette which is copied from the natural grain of the walnut frame used in Lady Iris. This discreet self-reference reflects Kogachi’s desire to include a fragment of herself within every painting in the exhibition.

The serenity of the swan bench is held in tension with the dramatic wall of datura (Chousen-asagao or Mandara-ge), that dominates the background. Hanging suspended in the blackness, these luminous, trumpet-shaped flowers simultaneously symbolise purity and spiritual illusion or danger. Within Japanese Buddhist tradition, datura is said to have rained from the heavens to celebrate Buddha’s teachings, serving as a bridge between the material world and an awakened mind. Visually and spiritually, they represent a blossoming out of the material world, linking the "muddy" or dangerous physical plane to the purity of an awakened mind, much like the lotus. Tucked into the shadowy margins of the foliage are two Ryukyuan flying foxes; beloved fox-faced fruit bats from Okinawa that are frequently spotted at dusk, introducing another connection between the natural world and the liminal spaces that recur throughout Claudia’s practices.
In the foreground of the painting, a vibrant field of native Japanese Irises rises through the grass, a recurring symbol of strength and resilience throughout the exhibition. Beyond them, a gently curved pond lined with lily pads extends the painting’s meditative traditions. Rooted in both Rooted in Buddhist and Shinto traditions, these flowers represent purity, renewal, and spiritual enlightenment and the transient nature of life.

By weaving these symbolic forms throughout the composition, Kogachi ensures that her exploration of Buddhist philosophy remains grounded in lived experiences. As she reflects: Swan Beach was “tied into reading and listening to many podcasts about awakening, the ego and Presence during my time painting”, revealing the work as both a spiritual meditation and an intimate portrait of her own evolving consciousness.