Tomoko Miyanagi, “The Goddess and the Spirits”
April 18th – May 17th, 2026.
Haven Gallery is honored to present Japan based artist, Tomoko Miyanagi, for her debut solo show at the gallery entitled “The Goddess and the Spirits“. “The Goddess and the Spirits” hosts a collection of eight beautifully painted oil works portraying mythological deities and beings in traditional portraits. Culturally diverse figures from antiquity are painted in the artists quintessential aesthetic of stylized faces, adorned with relevant accoutrements, evolving the works into narrative windows of history. An eye for composition and design, Miyanagi paints the magic of her sitters gracefully and remarkably, imprinting her own interpretation of these tales onto the viewers own perceptions.
Artist Statement
I paint goddesses and spirits from myths and legends through anthropomorphism. These beings, carried through stories across time, continue to live within us as something universal.
Through the classical medium of oil painting, I give form to this unseen presence. The figures I depict are both mysterious and approachable, reflecting something of ourselves.
Fantasy is not a distant world, but another reality opened within. Through my work, I hope to gently bring forth the quiet narratives that reside in each viewer.
About Tomoko Miyanagi
Born in 1962 in Hyogo, Japan. Based in Kobe.
Completed a Master’s degree in Painting at the Graduate School of Tama Art University.
I create dreamlike figurative paintings inspired by myths, legends, and stories.
Through personification, I depict these beings as goddesses and spirits.
Through this approach, I express a sense of timelessness that transcends cultures and eras.
For more than three decades, I have exhibited my work in Tokyo, Osaka, and Kobe.
My works are held in corporate and private collections in Japan.
Since 2024, I have begun presenting my work internationally.
In 2026, I present my first solo exhibition in New York.
A devoted cat lover.
