Artist: Deborah Sheehy

Medium: Acrylic on board

Dimensions: 12” x 12”

Year: 2016

Now here is an ancient puzzle: how many ears do you see?

The motif of the Three Hares has been found across centuries and continents, dating right back to the 6th century, in China, the Middle East and Europe. It has a threefold rotational symmetry, with each of the three hares sharing an ear with the other two.

There are multiple associated spiritual and mystical meanings associated with the symbol depending on the context (i.e. the Trinity, or Lunar cycles), however, the original symbolism remains a mystery.

I have kept my version of this iconic image simple, without ornament or border, in order to keep the focus entirely on the hares themselves. I wanted each hare to be an 'individual', instead of the three being entirely uniform, while maintaining the fluidity and graceful movement of the animals running in unity