This illustration was created as a new baby arrival gift for a couple living in Mui Wo, Lantau Island, to celebrate the birth of their daughter. The artwork draws directly from their immediate surroundings and the landscape that will form the backdrop of her early years.

The scene shows the couple standing together, looking down the path that leads away from their home. Their house is set amongst open fields where wild Lantau buffalo are a familiar and much-loved presence — an iconic part of the island’s character and a daily reminder of life lived closely with nature.

Further along the path, a gentle moment unfolds: a buffalo stands calmly with an Eastern Cattle Egret, a bird often seen accompanying buffalo in the fields. In a playful twist on tradition, the egret carries the baby in its beak, holding a small label with her name and birth date. This element is a reinterpretation of the classic stork story, reimagined through local wildlife and place-based symbolism.

The piece blends realism with light-hearted narrative, grounding the illustration in a real, recognisable landscape while introducing a sense of magic and storytelling. Created as a one-of-a-kind artwork, it is intended as a keepsake that connects the child to her home, her environment, and the stories that will be told about her arrival for years to come.