ARTICLES
Connecting Japan and France: Miwa Komatsu's Artistry at Mont Saint-Michel
2023.11.27
ART NEWS

Miwa Komatsu at Mont-Saint-Michel
Artist Miwa Komatsu conducted a live painting in Mont-Saint-Michel, France. Komatsu, who did a live painting at Itsukushima Shrine in Miyajima, Hiroshima last year 2022, offered her prayers at this beautiful and historic landmark located in Normandy.
Live painting scene at Mont-Saint-Michel
Donned in a white hakama, Miwa Komatsu gracefully descended the steps of Mont-Saint-Michel Saturday, on November 18 leading to the enchanting garden of L’Isle-des-Bas.
Mont-Saint-Michel
Despite the incessant rain that day, the weather momentarily eased providing just enough respite for the internationally renowned Japanese artist to embark on her creative journey creating two paintings in just an hour capturing the essence of Mont-Saint-Michel.
Live painting scene at Mont-Saint-Michel
This live Painting was part of the special connection between the rocky islet and the Japanese commune of Hatsukaichi.
Miwa Komatsu at Mont-Saint-Michel
Photos by Tatsuya Azuma
ARTIST

Born in Nagano Prefecture, Miwa Komatsu graduated from Joshibi University of Art & Design, where she works as a visiting lecturer. She is also a visiting lecturer at Tokyo University of The Arts.
While studying at Joshibi College of Art and Design, her work entitled The Forty-ninth Day was praised for its moving originality. After creating this piece, Komatsu began to concentrate on her career as a professional painter. Starting from copperplate engraving, she has expanded her realm of creation by incorporating materials such as acrylic paint and even Arita ware in recent years.
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'.
A pair of her Arita ware works of guardian lion dogs, Heaven and Earth Komainu, which had been exhibited as part of London's Chelsea Flower Show, became part of the British Museum's collection, and it has been on permanent display. The works of Miwa Komatsu were in the possession of prominent museums and institutions such as World Trade Center, Nagano Prefectural Art Museum, Woodone Museum of Art, Izumo Grand Shrine (Shimane), The official residence of Consulate-General of Japan in Cleveland (Ohio, USA), Walt Disney Japan, just to name a few.
As a contemporary artist, Komatsu has maintained energetic activities including solo shows and live paintings across a spread of countries with the creational principle "The Great Harmonization".