Ikki Miyake

inscribed in English, titled in Japanese and English and dated 2008

Acquired directly from the artist
Private Collection, Asia

This work is generally in good condition. There are scattered marks on the lower back of the waist.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Cycle of Life
Ikki Miyake

“A tree growing straight heavenward gives me a profound inspiration. I perceive the view of life in it.”

Throughout the discourse on contemporary Japanese art, a significant amount of attention has been paid towards the development of painting and photography realm, most notably with artists from the Neo-Pop movements such as Yoshitomo Nara and Takashi Murakami, as well as a younger generation from Murakami’s Superflat movement including Aya Takano and Chiho Aoshima. Though less mentioned, the terrain of sculpture has, in reality, gradually but significantly moved towards the broader spotlight. Among the groups of Japanese contemporary artists working with the three-dimensional approach, Ikki Miyake can be considered to be a distinctive figure in successfully bridging cosmic and philosophical explorations into the sculpted form. The large scale wooden sculpture YOGA - The Embodiment of Tree (Lot 55) from 2008 is an exceptionally rare work from the Yoga series by Miyake that brilliantly showcases his skillful rendering of the wood medium and more importantly, his intrinsic fascination with existentialism and the universe under the grand scheme of time.

Having earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree, Master of Fine Arts Degree, and Doctoral Degree from Tama Art University, one of the most renowned art universities in Tokyo, the 1973-born Japanese artist belongs to an impressive alumni group that includes visionaries such as Yoshihiro Suda, Issey Miyake, and Shoji Ito. Throughout his prolific career since mid-1990s, the artist has further been featured in numerous local and international exhibitions in cities such as Tokyo, Taipei, and New York, with his works being selected in public collections within Japan. Among his works, the Yoga series remains to be the most important body of work that epitomises the artist’s continual probe into not only the quintessential parallel between the human body and the organic wood form, but also the spiritual essence embedded within the earthly material. This is certainly in line with his later dissertation in 2012 entitled “Animism of Wood Sculpture”, in which Miyake further juxtaposed the “form and material” of wood with the “mind and body” of human1. In bridging the two entities within the Yoga series, Miyake employed a clever visual representation of the yoga motif, tracing back to the utmost bare relationship between human and cosmic earth.

The lot on offer proves to be one of the most significant works from the series as it effectively presents an empowering personification of three types of wood, including the cherry, zelkova, and torreya, an aromatic wood that was used for sculpting Buddhist statues during the 8th century in Japan. On view, a woman is seen practicing the Vriksha-asana position, one of the most popular forms from hatha yoga, atop an uneven wooden platform. As one can see, the woman is balancing herself with the right leg, while the left leg is bent towards the central axis of the body. At the same time, the head is slightly tilted downward, with both arms raised and extended upward towards the sky. The evocation of peace, solitude, and stillness is skillfully expressed through the delicately carved smile and smooth surface of the skin, at once suggesting the artist’s attempt to eternally prolong a moment of quietude in time. Reinforcing this ideal, the artist explained, “A tree growing straight heavenward gives me a profound inspiration. I perceive the view of life in it. Especially, I place the focus the verticality of a tree on YOGA - The Embodiment of Tree as a connection between the earth and sky. This work expresses, as it were, PRANA (vital force) embodied from the Yoga pose of a tree.”2 Indeed, the physique and beauty of the female contour is accentuated through a delicate handling of the body that includes a deliberate stretching of the torso, arms, and legs, executing a larger-than-life presence rarely seen within Miyake’s oeuvre. To examine closely, the gradual transition of the sculpture’s surface from the raw wooden trunk to the extremely refined fingers also demonstrates Miyake’s strategic craftsmanship in creating a physical metamorphosis between tree and human, pinpointing the essence of Vriksha-asana. The inclusion of the torreya wood is another undeniable aspect that well displays a conscious effort by the artist to retrace the linkage with the spiritual history of Buddhism. It is naturally shown through the subtle aesthetics parallel between the facial features of the woman and that of the polished wooden Miroku Bosatsu statues produced during the 7th and 8th centuries in Japan, as exemplified in one of Japan’s oldest national treasure, the Hõkan Miroku statue from the Koryuji Temple. This lineation of aligning the corporeal body with spiritual force would further follow through in Miyake’s later works such as The Female Shrine of Torreya, The Ascetic Deity, and The Water Deity of Kifune from 2011, making YOGA - The Embodiment of Tree to be a fundamental prototype for the aesthetics and thematic transition within the artist’s oeuvre.

In many ways, the delicacy and medium of the work can also be compared and contrasted with the modern Taichi series, one of the most celebrated bodies of works from 20th century by the renowned Taiwanese artist Ju Ming. Both works attempt to express the harmony between the human psyche and the physical body through the synthesis of the wood form and the mind-body practice of yoga and taichi. Yet the woodcarving technique remains to be dissimilar; while Ju Ming’s Taichi series relies on the increasingly abstract and bold contours that speak of the holistic body force, Miyake’s YOGA - The Embodiment of Tree, on the other hand, plays with the fine line and delicate curves of female form, pinpointing to the ultimate tranquil state after an attainment of inner peace and balance. As we see in his later works, the contemplation of the mind and body in relation with the larger cosmos would continue to be a critical motif within the artist’s artistic practice. However, it is only through the lot on offer can one truly experience the coextensive nature between the physical human body and the impalpable energy within earthly matters, highlighting the true intrinsic cycle of life.

1 Ikki Miyake, Animism of Wood Sculpture, 2012, p. 37
2 Ikki Miyake: YOGA, Yokoi Fine Art, 2008