Miwa Komatsu

White and Black Guiding Yamainu-sama

€8,000

Limited edition

Edition of 15

Hand-finished

Sold out

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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.

Miwa Komatsu painting a bronze sculpture

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

Miwa Komatsu6 collaborationsMiwa Komatsu has one main objective in her practice – to translate spirituality into works of art. Working across different media, she explores Japanese folklore, Buddhism and other mythologies. She grew up in Nagano, the city with the highest mountains in Japan. This gave her "a deep sense of connection with the outside world, far beyond physical borders.” Her process often begins with prayer and meditation. This is a crucial part of connecting with the immaterial world she strives to channel. While Komatsu is best known for her paintings, she’s also made etchings, porcelain sculptures and virtual reality experiences. At exhibitions and events, she often paints live – showing how performative the painting process can be.

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Reviews from Avant collectors

You are the best in the business and the nicest people to do business with. Thank you!!
Review of Portrait and Head
amazing experience throughout, from the actual purchase to the delivery. it was well package and the unboxing was a sweet experience! can’t wait to have it framed and to hang it on my wall!
Review of La Nascita
Beautiful piece! Love it so much
Review of Actual Size
beautiful print. top notch
Review of Digital Chemicals
I was lucky enough to have been invited to see the creation of this piece of work back in June and met the fantastic Miwa so seeing this print now is just fantastic. The colours are every bit as vibrant as the original.
Review of Sacred Connectedness
The framing was beautiful and it was the best packaged art piece I have ever received.
Review of March Snowstorm
Wonderful work and very good quality production I hope to find a new work soon of him or of a artist that I like
Review of Inner Love
my third piece from you guys, cant fault you in anyway 10/10
Review of Actual Size

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