AWUWA

AWUWA is a contemporary Japanese performing arts unit featuring vocalist Mico Sundari and visual artist Yao Mikami. Together they explore the ancient songs of Japan through meditative sound and visual art created with liquid light, reconnecting with traditional Japanese spirituality. Central to their performance is the concept of Kotodama—the belief that words carry spirit.

Yao Mikami is a visual artist whose work bridges the ancient and contemporary through natural pigments and sensory-rich creative processes. Expanding beyond traditional painting, she has spent the past five years developing and performing liquid-light art—a form of moving painting created with an analogue overhead projector and a tray of liquid. Through this momental medium, where the artwork exists only in the present, Yao explores the fluidity of colour and light in synergy with sound, crafting immersive, meditative experiences that push the boundaries of visual storytelling.

Born into a family of Japanese Shinto lineage, Mico Sundari has dedicated her life to the transformative power of voice. After overcoming years of illness and multiple surgeries, she embarked on a deep journey into Nada Yoga—the Yoga of Sound—studying with esteemed teachers such as Taro Terahara, Gina Sala (Cirque du Soleil), and Shivam Rath (Crystal Slide/Raga Retreat). Fascinated by “Kotodama”, the spirit of words, Mico weaves ancient songs into a contemporary soundscape, bridging tradition and modernity. Through her voice, she shares timeless wisdom, creating a space for spiritual connection and healing in the modern world.

Before AWUWA’s upcoming performance ‘Liquid Memory’ performance we spoke with Yao and Mico to find out more about their creative collaboration.

BEMAC: How did you come to be working together as AWUWA?

Yao: We both share a deep interest in the concept of “Kotodama”—the belief that words and sounds carry spirit. We wanted to explore how to express this through voice and visuals. Coming from the same cultural background in Japan, we both felt drawn to ancient songs and their connection to our origins. This led us to combine words and visuals in a way that brings these songs to life. AWUWA is the sound of creation, and through it, we seek to reconnect with our roots. Our meditative performances create a shared space with the audience, where we bring these ancient songs into the present moment.

BEMAC: AWUWA combine visionary chanting with music and live projections. Can you tell us about the technical set up and how these different elements combine in the show?  

Yao: AWUWA’s performance weaves together visionary chanting, live music, and liquid light projections to create a deeply meditative experience. Mico’s voice is layered in real-time using a looper, blending traditional Japanese mantras with the rich harmonics of the harmonium. These sacred sounds resonate and evolve, forming the core of the performance. Meanwhile, Yao’s liquid light visuals—created using water, ink, and oil on a glass tray—are projected through an analogue overhead projector, generating slow-moving, entrancing patterns. The organic movement of the visuals mirrors the fluidity of the music, allowing sound and light to interact in an immersive, hypnotic flow.

BEMAC: What ancient Japanese traditions are present in your work and how do you present them in contemporary ways?

Yao: Our work is inspired by Japan’s ancient traditions of storytelling, creation myths, and deep wisdom, which we are passing down through both song and writing. These songs, written in ancient characters and alphabets, were lost for 1,000s of years and rediscovered about 75 years ago. Since there is no surviving template for how they were originally sung, we must use our imagination and intuition to create melodies and visuals that resonate in modern times.

This process feels like time travel, allowing us to access and interpret ancient Japanese traditions through creative expression. By composing our own melodies and blending them with liquid light art, we bring these timeless stories into a contemporary space—where sound and visuals merge to connect past and present.

BEMAC: You have described AWUWA’s creative process as a ‘ceremony’. Can you elaborate on this?

Mico: There is a word “Karma Yoga”, it means Yoga of Action. For me, singing or music itself is a part of yogic practice for meditation, or the way to bring myself into the deep state of consciousness. And, regardless of any kind of activity, if we put the mind, heart and the hands together, every action will be sacred. Life itself will be a ceremony. And that is the state of Karma Yoga.

We Japanese have the word “Inori”, which means prayer.

⚫︎  I(e) = intention

⚫︎  Nori = declare

This is how I treat my voice and song as a vehicle of divine intention.

Yao: For us, performing as AWUWA is not just an artistic expression—it is a ceremony through the creative process. Before we begin, we enter a meditative state, calming and quieting the mind to access the source of creation.

This preparation is essential, as it allows us to connect deeply with the energy of the ancient songs and their meaning. Just like ceremonies in different cultures bring people into a shared sacred state, our creative process follows a ritual of intention, presence, and transformation.

Through voice and liquid light art, we guide ourselves and the audience into an immersive experience, where sound and visuals become a bridge between the past and present. We feel deeply honoured to create in this way, treating each performance as a ceremonial act of connection and remembrance.

BEMAC: Can you explain the concept of Kotodama in more detail?

Mico: Our ancestors recognised that everything in the universe, including visible plants and animals, as well as the sky, earth, mountains, rocks, and water, are imbued with spirit.

In the same way, they valued words themselves as carriers of power and spirit, capable of moving events and expressing gratitude, treating them with utmost care.

The term “Kotodama” can be broken down into:

⚫︎ Koto = Word

⚫︎ Tama (or dama) = Soul, Spirit

This means that each character or sound carries a distinct energy.

It can be likened to what is known as a “mantra” in yoga.

BEMAC: What role does healing play in your work?

Mico: Since my childhood, I have been very sensitive, and it may be hard to imagine from my presence on stage, but I have undergone seven surgeries in my life. Throughout this journey of holistic healing for both body and mind, I have come to realise that our voices, or the act of singing, possess a fundamental healing power. Therefore, I find immense joy in conveying this to all of you during my art performances.

As I navigate intense shifts in energy, I am experiencing a wide range of emotions, much like a grounding wire carrying high-voltage currents. The ability to translate all realms—from darkness to light—through artistic expression, which is often beyond what I can emit in daily communication, serves as my greatest healing.

In Sanskrit, there is the expression “Nada Brahma,” meaning sound is divine, it is everything. Indeed, this signifies that the vibrations of Kotodama and mantras can access every layer of our body, mind, and spirit.

By translating that vibration visually through Yao, we simultaneously engage multiple senses, and I trust that this will foster collective purification and healing in the deep consciousness of each individual receiving it.

BEMAC: What does the idea of “home” mean to you?

Mico: I believe the question “What is home?” is a profoundly deep one. It is not merely about the house you return to tonight; rather, it refers to the place where “your own heart belongs,” a space or community where you can be your true self, ultimately leading to a state of assured consciousness.

For example, in our history, there was the Jomon period, which, according to archaeological research, was a peaceful era that lasted for over 10,000 years without conflict or war.

As history shows, we humans are inherently beings of love and harmony. What we share as AWUWA can be seen as ancient wisdom stemming from this era. Therefore, the place I strive for through my singing and expressive activities, the concept of home, is an “ancient future” where we can exist in harmony as our true selves.

Yao: The home I seek through this project is the “source.” It is the “origin” that transcends borders and races. For instance, where we were born in this lifetime is merely a surface detail. If we look deeper into “where we come from,” we ultimately find that we all, without exception, originate from the “source.”

Mico: Therefore, we intentionally refer to these as Japanese Ancient Songs for clarity, but in truth, these songs transcend that label and are far more universal. Thus, the songs we share may resonate as the songs of your own home, just as “Om” represents “Home”.

Liquid Memory
3:00pm, Sunday 9 February
Queensland Multicultural Centre

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