Homecoming

Deer are traditional symbols of immortality throughout East Asia, and remain a popular subject in various arts. Masterful in both design and execution, this screen depicts a young faun returning to his family. A swath of pine branches extends across the top right of the composition to suggest the forest setting, and with delicate needles embroidered in radiated darning stitches and roughly textured bark achieved with thickly twisted threads, it serves to lead the viewer’s eye to the group of deer shown below. Although depicted in a stylized landscape, the deer themselves combine various stitchery techniques to achieve a high degree of naturalism. Using threads as fine as hair (with eight filaments twisted into one thread), the bodies of the deer are embroidered in long satin stitches; the flanks, bellies, and the underparts of the neck blend two shades of threads in long and short stitches. The long covering stitches are secured with smaller stitches that provide patterning details, such as the spots on the bodies. Placing the young faun by itself towards the top of the left panel creates a strong expression that strikes a perfect balance with the group of deer on the right. The framing of the deer within this artistically conceived interpretation of space serves to highlight their beauty and to heighten the overall visual power of the design. This work was inspired by the story of the artist's neighbor, wishing for family to return home as the faun has.