ZHONG CHENG

Zhong Cheng 2024 Autumn Auction「Modern And Contemporary Art」

  • Zhong Cheng 2023 Autumn Auction「Modern And Contemporary Art」
    • Download

    126

    Miwa Komatsu (b.1984)

    VR Prayer: Vermilion Bird

    2018

    Acrylic on Canvas
    91 x 72.7 cm

    Signed on the reverse: Ko Miwa in English and Miwa Komatsu in Chinese, dated 2018

    Estimate TWD 1,600,000-2,100,000
    USD 50,200-65,900
    HKD 0-0

    Hammer Price TWD 1,920,000
    USD 61,538
    HKD 483,627

With a certificate of authenticity from gallery

Provenance：

Illustrated：

Exhibition："Miwa Komatsu: Prayer," Whitestone Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan, December 7th, 2019-January 5th, 2020

Exposition：

Komatsu Miwa grew up in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, surrounded by abundant natural beauty. She describes herself as someone who easily got lost in the countryside as a child and encountered many strange creatures. Every time she got lost, a creature that looked like a large wolf would eventually guide her home. Years later, during a visit to a shrine with her family, she discovered that the wolf-like creature was the guardian beast, Komainu, at the shrine's entrance. Since then, she has been deeply fascinated by various guardian spirits and creatures.

As she grew up to become an artist, Miwa developed the skill of painting the spiritual creatures she saw with her "inner eye." Before each painting, she would enter a deep state of meditation, using her mind and senses as a medium to immerse herself completely in the mystical realm of the natural world and its unseen entities.

In 2019, with the collaboration of HTC VIVE ORIGINALS, director Liu Siming, contemporary artist Miwa Komatsu, and renowned Taiwanese musician Huang Kai, they used VR (Virtual Reality) technology to create the immersive art piece "INORI." This work aimed to visualize Miwa Komatsu's spiritual creatures and her world through immersive experiences involving situations, visuals, and sounds.

Miwa Komatsu also created several pieces in her "VR Prayer" series specifically for this new media artwork, serving as bridges and characters in the virtual reality. "INORI" received recognition at prestigious events such as the 76th Venice Film Festival and the Raindance Film Festival in the UK. During these exhibitions, Miwa Komatsu's original artwork was showcased, and interactive experiences were made available to the audience. "VR Prayer: Suzaku" is one of the prototype works that were adapted into VR imagery.

"Miwa Komatsu is an artist from the East. She can see the colors and souls of mysterious creatures, which are the primary sources of inspiration for her art. When an artist completes a unique artwork, I believe the most mysterious aspect is not the final result but the turning point between contemplation and enlightenment. That moment, when the soul within ignites, accumulates layers of memories. It can come from the past or the present, be spiritual or human. I encountered this experience and was fascinated by it, but I couldn't find the right artist and medium to document it until I met Miwa Komatsu. With real-time engines and immersive VR technology, I can finally capture the precious divine moments in the artist's mind. The artist's love for God and the people happens in that moment, conveying the most sincere prayer to the universe." — Director Liu Siming of "INORI"

Miwa Komatsu's method of using her "inner eye" as a gateway to the world of spirits is translated into VR headsets accessible to everyone, creating a doorway for all to enter her spiritual world. Participants can immerse themselves in the divine spirit that has enlightened Miwa Komatsu throughout the years. "VR Prayer: Suzaku" portrays the head of Suzaku, one of the Four Symbols, and represents the elemental world in "INORI." In VR, the audience is guided by Komainu into a fiery volcanic environment, where they can summon Suzaku, the guardian of the fire element. Just like in the original artwork, Suzaku appears with fiery eyes full of energy, dancing in a vibrant posture. The thick, rich brushstrokes and mysterious warm and cool tones in the painting engage the audience, making them resonate with the warm energy and awe-inspiring divinity of Suzaku. The black lines expanding from Suzaku's body resemble wings, evolving into ashes, then transforming into floating petals upon touch. They grow into flourishing trees, seamlessly transitioning with other elements, representing the infinite cycle of all elements.

In this tangible and concrete field of primal energy, the aim is to allow the audience to glimpse into Miwa Komatsu's form of prayer and experience the purification of their own souls and the extension of life. Along this journey, the guardian Komainu spirits accompany the audience, guiding them towards their inner enlightenment with their radiance. This is the indescribable experience of Miwa Komatsu's "VR Prayer." Looking back at reality, each piece in this series gains an additional layer of depth and meaning.

View More Works