Artist
Mandara Shika
Mandara Shika is a Joseon dynasty painting artist. 1 work is cataloged here, principally at Art Institute of Chicago.
This artist painted gods hiding in plain sight. In the Kasuga Deer Mandala, the sacred deer of Shinto shrines aren’t just animals, they’re tiny, mischievous guardians tucking into temple offerings like unruly relatives at a picnic. Look close and you’ll spot them: a deer nibbling a rice cake, another sneaking a peach.
The silk glows with gold, but the real magic is in the deer’s sideways glances, as if they know we’re watching. Find this scroll folded inside Kyoto’s Kasuga Taisha shrine scroll room and you’ll understand why these deer still feel like family.
Works by Mandara Shika
Collections represented
