YOGA – AXIS

Yoga was revered in the ancient India as a holistic practice that unites the spirit, body, and mind. Sculpture creation requires the artist to exert incredible amount of physical and mental energy. Through the aesthetic practice, its goal is parallel to the personal cultivation in Yoga. Yoga-Axis (Lot 133), from Ikki Miyake’s significant series, reveals an ultimate yearning for the equilibrium of mind and body. The sculpture is made of rare and invaluable torreya wood, also known as Chinese torreya with an intrinsic natural aroma which has been used as precious material for sculptures before Heian period. As Ikki Miyake recalled, while in search of an appropriate sculpture material, he was inspired by torreya wood’s texture on revealing the elegance of feminine body. For him, torreya wood gives out an attraction of delicateness, softness and seduction. With skilful technique, the artist sculpted a slender silky feminie body out of “one block of wood”. Michelangelo once referred sculpture as setting free the soul out of the marble; while Ikki Miyake concentrates on exploring the beauty of human body from natural materials and echoing ancient oriental philosophy of “the bonding of heaven and human beings” through the theme of Yoga, a sport in pursuit of spiritual equilibrium.