Whitestone Gallery Hollywood Road is pleased to present the lively Japanese emerging artist, Miwa Komatsu’s first solo exhibition in Hong Kong. The exhibition will introduce Komatsu’s latest works and significant creations, including her iconic Guardian series; to share her view with the audience and invite them into her vividly deep dynamism of spirituality.

Miwa Komatsu (1984- ) was born in Sakaki City in Nagano, Japan and graduated from Joshibi College of Art and Design in Tokyo in 2004. The artist started her career producing copperplate prints, and started painting after a flash of enlightenment during one of her trips to New York. Komatsu’s favorite subjects are divine beasts, particular guardian dogs, which are often seen in Shinto shrines in Japan. She paints their diversity rooted in history and region, as the Lion Dogs were introduced to Japan after traveling across many continents, and changed appearance after being influenced by various cultures along the way. She entirely devotes herself tackling her motifs; explore themes relating to mononoke (spirits) and yokai (ghosts and goblins) at a young age. The strange, fantastic divine beasts in her paintings look intimidating, but at the same time, look humorous; they are dynamic but also sensitive, her paintings present a happy fusion of ideas and skills. She has succeeded in making the slow and painstaking line drawings flourish in modern times. Her toughness and undaunted spirit are refreshing.