Yufei Zheng

The Deer King, known as RuRu in the 2nd century BCE in the Bharhut region of India, was one of the benevolent birds and beasts that the Buddha reincarnated in his previous life to do good deeds. In ancient times, a Persian merchant gets lost in a great windstorm. Suddenly, though, a spiritual deer of nine colors appears to guide the man. Later, the deer rescues a man drowning in a lake. In exchange, the man promises not to reveal the deer’s whereabouts. The man reaches an imperial palace. The king insists on hunting down the spiritual deer to make clothes out of the deerskin. The man gives in to his greed and leads an army of warriors to the spot. He falls into the river again, hoping the deer will show up to rescue him. This time, all the warriors’ arrows turn into dust, and the man is drowned. In the original mural, we can observe that the Deer King is surrounded by elements of darkness — a world shadowed by greed, betrayal, and silent tension. The somber tones, twisted silhouettes, and cold, indifferent gazes create a suffocating atmosphere, making the Deer King’s gentle presence appear even more fragile yet resolute, like a flicker of light in a storm.

Because of this, I wanted to offer the Deer King a contrasting environment — one that is warm, soft, and full of quiet grace. In my vision, the Deer King is bathed in gentle morning light, with golden rays filtering through the gaps in the leaves above, like a silent blessing from the sky. The air feels light, touched by the sweetness of flowers and the scent of resin. This warmth is not only visual but emotional — a space of healing and quiet strength.