Set within an idyllic sylvan glade, a herd of sika deer graze, drink, and rest amidst a flutter of butterflies. In Japanese culture, Shika (sika deer) are revered as symbols of prosperity, longevity and peace. Within Shinto belief, they serve as messengers bridging the human world and the kami (divine spirits). Legend holds that a deity from Kashima Jingu arrived in Nara riding atop a white deer, leading to centuries of sacred protection. While harming a deer was once a capital offense, today Nara's free-roaming deer’s are celebrated as ‘National Natural Treasure’.

The painting is equally grounded in personal memory: every deer in the painting was inspired by photographs Kogachi took during a 2025 trip to Nara Park with her mother. “There were dozens and dozens of deer roaming freely... on the roads outside shops, on the pavements, through the shrine,” she reflected. “It was amazing. They were so used to human contact that you could pat them comfortably and feed them deer biscuits. Mom and I spent the whole afternoon there observing the deer, patting, sitting with them, feeding them”.

The deer, especially their distinctive leaf-shaped ears – with their tapered tips and wide bases – also reminded Claudia of Kiku, her little chihuahua waiting for her back home. This connection is made manifest in Kiku, a smaller-scale painting that features a close-up portrait of a shika with a moon moth gently resting on his nose.

The water fountain's central cherub base is modelled after Kogachi herself, created by projecting and tracing a childhood photograph of her face. As a ceremonial offering, this cherubic fountain invites the gathered deer to drink, transforming the scene into an act of sacred reverence with Kogachi in the centre.