Miwa Komatsu

White and Black Guiding Yamainu-sama

€8,000

Limited edition

Edition of 15

Hand-finished

Sold out

Love this work?

Subscribe to get notified about any cancellations and early access on next releases.

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

5 collaborations

Miwa 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.

Who else should know about this work?

Help us spread the word

Reviews from Avant collectors

this is a. very good way to make great artisrs’ work affordable. well done
Review of Women Without Men #2, 2009
everything in the communication has been pretty clear and fluid, the tracking before delivery was detailled and fast, the packaging was enought secured and the final artwork is incredible !
Review of B BOY JUSHI
absolutely stunning print. framing was fantastic as well. very happy, thank you
Review of Portrait of Francis Bacon
Thanks for keeping me in the loop during the entire process. The packaging of the item was exceptional.
Review of Portrait of Maya #10
were happy to have the print and are grateful for the professional correspondence. we look fwd to purchasing prints in the future.
Review of Prismatic Head Composition
Fantastic work, fantastic customer experience
Review of Lost in Time
Since it was from overseas, I was worried about whether the product would arrive without damage, but it was carefully packaged and arrived without any damage. Thank you very much. And I am satisfied with the work.
Review of Sacred Connectedness
The work is absolutely stunning! The embossing, thick paper, it impressively captures Condo’s oil gestures and overall vibrance…
Review of Lost in Time

Discover more sculpture editions on Avant Arte

See all

Available

Rafa MacarrónIndi€12,000

Available

Grant Levy-Lucerode la Rosa, Dulcería La Moderna€2,000

Draw

Johnson TsangWork in Progress€900

Closing on 23 January

Available

Paul McCarthySanta with Butt Plug Bronze 11.4 inches€25,000