Final answer:
The deer in Kohei Nawa's artwork holds significant cultural symbolism in Japan, representing long life and friendship, often depicted in historical art with chrysanthemums.
Step-by-step explanation:
In Kohei Nawa's work, the deer is an especially evocative symbol in his native Japan. The deer, in Japanese culture, is associated with long life and friendship. This symbolism is rooted in historical artworks where the deer, among other elements such as turtles and bamboo, represented the common people's ideals and were seen as one of the ten longevity symbols. The paintings of these ordinary, anonymous artists often depicted the deer with limited color palettes, such as yellow and brown representing the earth and black symbolizing water. Furthermore, these deer were occasionally adorned with chrysanthemums — signifying autumn and part of the revered 'Four Gentlemen' in classical Chinese and Japanese art.