A Lecture by Contemporary Artist Miwa Komatsu
The Importance of Soul: A Spirit of Symbiotic Harmony

Lecture

12 / 02 / 16

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• Contemporary Artist Miwa Komatsu is creating a name for herself as an up-and-coming painter on the Japanese art scene. In 2015, at the young age of 31, her pair of komainu (guardian dog) Arita porcelain figures were added to the permanent collection of the British Museum. In recent years, Ms. Komatsu has been garnering fame in the world of Contemporary Japanese art – her work achieved the unprecedented distinction of completely selling out during three solo exhibitions held in Tokyo and Hong Kong. Recently serving as a goodwill ambassador at the G7 Transport Ministers’ Meeting in Nagano Prefecture, her reputation now extends to the world stage.
   
  During her lecture, Ms. Komatsu will be speaking on “The Importance of Soul: A Spirit of Symbiotic Harmony”. She will be sharing some secrets to her success as an artist, describing the attitude she brings to her art and the processes that have enabled her to achieve such extraordinary fame. Ms. Komatsu’s art focuses on the theme of life and death. The artist will be speaking on the nature of the human soul and the importance of maintaining a soul of beauty and purity and passing that on to the next generation.
   
  Ms. Komatsu has chosen the phrase “Yamato (Japanese) Power, to the World” as the overarching theme of her work, representing her desire to share Japanese culture through her art. She will also be sharing her vision as an artist to continue to emphasize the importance of creating art rooted in Japanese culture through a mindset of harmony.
   
  Joining Ms. Komatsu on her trip from Japan is Hirokazu Okano, a famous weaver of Hakata textiles. The two will participate in a dialogue on Japanese culture during the last half-hour of the lecture. Ms. Komatsu will also perform a live painting at the event.
   
  ★The lecture will be conducted in Japanese with English Interpretation.
   
  Miwa Komatsu Contemporary Artist
  Ms. Komatsu was born in Nagano Prefecture, and graduated from Joshibi College of Art and Design in 2004. Starting off in copperplate engraving, she has since moved on to canvas and Arita porcelain figures. Her work “Shin Fudoki” was donated to the Izumo-Taisha shrine in 2014, the year she was first featured in Christie’s Hong Kong Spring Auction. In 2015, her pair of komainu (guardian dog) Arita poreclain figures were acquired for the permanent collection of the British Museum. She also served as a goodwill ambassador at the 2016 G7 Transport Ministers’ Meeting in Nagano Prefecture, where she presented her painting “Tomoshituzuke, Arukituzuke (Keep lighting up, Keep walking)”. At the end of November, she will be participating in a group exhibition at the Waterfall Gallery, her first show in New York City.
   
  Hirokazu Okano
  Okano Co., Ltd. President, Hakata textile weaver
  Born in 1971, Mr. Okano began his career at a consultant company in Tokyo after graduating university. Returning to his hometown in 1998, he took over the family business as a fifth-generation Hakata textile weaver at Okano, which was founded back in 1897.
   
  Date: Friday, December 2, 2016
  Time: 6:30 – 8:00 PM (doors open at 6:00 PM)
  Lecture (30 min), Dialogue (30 min), Live painting (30 min)
  Location: Sakura Room, 5th Floor of The Nippon Club
  Price: $15 for Nippon Club members, $20 for guests (includes 1 drink)
  Reservations & Inquiries To reserve your seat, please call 212-581-2223 or email yhonda@nipponclub.org.
   
  Please send your payment by check to The Nippon Club (Attn: Ms. Honda) by November 30th. Please be aware that we cannot offer a refund for cancellations after 5 PM on November 30th.