Miwa Komatsu

White and Black Guiding Yamainu-sama

€ 8.000

Miwa Komatsu

Miwa Komatsu

White and Black Guiding Yamainu-sama

Limited edition

Edition of 15

Hand-finished

Shipping estimated 1-8 January

Draw closing on

Wednesday, 20 November – 14:00 UTC

Minimum 2 available by draw

Miwa Komatsu enshrines her lifelong spirit guides with a pair of hand-painted sculptures.

Yamainu are divine beings, found in various forms throughout Japanese folklore. Miwa has cherished their guidance throughout her life. The creatures appear – wide eyed and cosmic – in many of her paintings.

An edition in two parts – one white, one black – explores harmony and contrast. Details on the surface of each sculpture are painted by the artist in her studio, making every pair unique. They include vines, wolf hair, cherubim wings and the traditional Japanese kanoko motif.

In Japanese folklore, two wolves – one black, one white – guided Prince Yamato Takeru as he embarked on a series of trials. According to legend, Buddhist monk Kukai was guided by a pair of Yamainu – one black, one white – to Mount Koya, where he built his temple. The site is now a focal point for Shingon Buddhism. Both tales inspired Miwa’ to create the edition.

Yamainu-sama look back again and again, showing me the way, but only my footprints remain in the snow.

Miwa Komatsu

The black Yamainu represents ‘A’ – the beginning of the Japanese alphabet. Its white counterpart represents ‘Un’ – the end. These contrasting sounds are evoked by their open and closed mouths, respectively. 'A-un' (阿吽) is a phonetic transcription of a Sanskrit word meaning 'the beginning and end of all things.'

The Yamainu watch calmly over humanity, seeking to eliminate evil in the world.

Miwa Komatsu

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Reviews from Avant collectors

  • Thank you so much for the communications! Very surprised with the gloves, tote, personal card note, and COA! This a gorgeous piece and like nothing I’ve ever seen! Keep pushing the boundaries on art and technology!

  • the item was some of the most professional packing i have seen outside of a museum. exceptionally well packed

  • great packaging, and the print is great!

  • The piece looks great and we love having it in our home and added to our collection! Thanks so much...

  • I love it! beautifully framed.Thanks

  • It's awesome! The artwork quality is superb! I really really loved everything you did - the gloves, the totem bag, the letter... amazing! Thanks so much!

  • Congratulations for the perfect service!

  • The unboxing was wonderful! Great work! This was a total experience!