Song of Four Seasons

The Song of Four Seasons collection draws inspiration from the Japanese tradition of Kachō Shiki-zu (花鳥四季図), or "Birds, Flowers, and the Four Seasons"—a celebrated artistic theme that reflects the changing rhythms of nature through the harmony of flora and fauna. Flourishing during the Edo period and exemplified by masters such as Itō Jakuchū, these works celebrate the distinctive beauty of each season while expressing the continuity of the natural world across the year.

Ekin develops this theme through four individual compositions, each devoted to a single season and its characteristic birds and blossoms. Spring pairs peacocks with peonies and peach blossoms, creating a scene of renewal and abundance. Summer brings together pheasants, mandarin ducks, crabapple blossoms, and water lilies amid the vitality of the warmer months. Autumn is expressed through swan geese, chrysanthemums, and cotton roses, while winter concludes the cycle with red-crowned cranes, plum blossoms, and camellias. Together, the four panels form a complete cycle of the year, allowing each season to be appreciated individually while remaining part of a larger composition.

The collection is realized through Ekin's proprietary Gold Kesi technique, with each panel developed to convey the distinct character of its season. Artists select different stitch structures, ornamental techniques, materials, and finishes in response to the particular qualities of each flower, feather, branch, and leaf. Conceived as four independent yet interconnected works, the compositions take form across folding screens, rotating double-sided screens, and sets of four wall panels, allowing the seasons to unfold within a space in different arrangements.

The Song of Four Seasons collection continues a long artistic tradition of observing time through the natural world. Across its four panels, the changing year is expressed through the birds and flowers that mark each season, offering a quiet reflection on continuity, transition, and renewal.