'Through my paintings, viewers' souls are invited to engage with a realm inhabited by mythical beasts, prompting the question: 'Is your soul beautiful?' In this capacity, my art serves as a portal, facilitating access for all and fostering connections between souls and the mysterious world of mythical creatures. This, indeed, is my mission.'
– Miwa Komatsu
Whitestone Gallery Taipei is pleased to announce the solo exhibition of Miwa Komatsu, titled Sense of Sacredness. This marks her third solo exhibition in Taipei, scheduled to run from March 2nd to April 20th. The opening reception, with the artist in attendance, is scheduled for March 2nd at 4pm, and the audience can enter at 3:50pm. In addition, there will be a book sharing session for Komatsu's latest publication at Eslite Xindian Yulong City Mall on March 3rd at 2pm. You are welcome to join the event.
The creative philosophy proposed by Miwa Komatsu, 'The Great Harmonization,' is a theory of life suggesting that all living beings are equal at the soul level and that every entity can coexist while maintaining its individuality. At its core lies the primal sense of awe that every human possesses, a universal sacred feeling that transcends specific religions. Miwa Komatsu has named this the 'Sense of Sacredness.'
Miwa Komatsu engages in live painting as one of her artistic expressions. However, it is not a performance; it is a solemn ceremony that serves as an awakening to the 'Sense of Sacredness.'
Miwa Komatsu has a deep connection with Taiwan. In 2017, she performed a live painting at Huashan 1914 for the GQ Taiwan 21st Anniversary and her first solo exhibition at Whitestone Gallery in Taipei. On the opening day, more than 1,000 people visited the exhibition, and the total number of people was as high as more than 30,000. During that time, Komatsu stayed in Taipei for a month and created more than 20 works. In 2019, the work Prayer - INORI co-created with HTC VIVE ORIGINALS was officially invited to participate in the VR department competition of the 76th Venice International Film Festival. In the same year, it was created on-site at the Taiwan-Japan exchange event co-organised by the Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government. Additionally, she collaborated with the Taipei Lantern Festival 2024, presenting a large lantern sculpture inspired by her work All May Become Dragons, which became a highlight of the exhibition, drawing numerous visitors.
Miwa Komatsu has been highly receptive to the invisible world from her childhood: her early experience of being immersed in nature, surrounded by animals and rich natural landscapes, developed her distinctive view of life and death that all beings were created equal in soul. With an abundance of expressive power, she has presented her works under the theme of 'Divine Spirits.' At the age of 20, her painting 49 Days was widely appraised for its extraordinary skills and personality, marking the beginning of her career as a professional artist. In 2015, Komatsu exhibited her Arita porcelain guardian dog at Chelsea Flower Show in London; the work won the golden prize and entered the collection of British Museum.
In 2019, Miwa Komatsu captivated the audience in Cleveland with a live painting performance at the Cleveland Museum of Art in Cleveland, USA. Continuing her artistic journey, in 2022 and 2023, she showcased her talents with performances at Itsukushima Shrine in Japan and Mont-Saint-Michel City in France, respectively, marking a new chapter in her art career.
Her recent exhibitions showcase a diverse range of themes and venues, including Prayer for Nature at Wood One Museum of Art (2020), Miwa Komatsu: Prayer at Whitestone Gallery Ginza (2020), Miwa Komatsu Exhibition at the Nagano Prefectural Art Museum (2021), Transparent Chaos: Spirituality and Mandala at Taro Okamoto Museum of Art (2022), We Love Korea: Miwa Komatsu at Whitestone Gallery Seoul (2023), Miwa Komatsu: Sense of Sacredness at Whitestone Gallery Singapore (2023), Opening Up a New World of Art at Ashikaga Museum of Art (2024).
The works of Miwa Komatsu were in the collection of prominent museums and institutions such as the World Trade Center, To-ji Temple in Kyoto, Nagano Prefectural Art Museum, Wood One Museum of Art, Izumo Taisha in Shimane, Mont-Saint-Michel City, Hatsukaichi Shi in Japan, the official residence of Consulate-General of Japan in Cleveland (Ohio, USA), and Walt Disney Japan, among others.
Miwa Komatsu was born in Nagano in 1984. The artist's unique childhood connection with nature has influenced her to work with engraving, acrylic painting, and Arita-porcelain to reflect on the distinct bond between nature and life. Komatsu is known for her masterful use of contrast, brightness, and saturation in paintings depicting Japanese Shinto and divine creatures.
Established in 1967, Whitestone Gallery is a leading Japanese gallery presenting a broad spectrum of Japanese art from the post-war to contemporary in spaces across East Asia.
