Otani Workshop (Japan) Count On Me, 2016

Signed and dated 2016 (on the underside)

Unique

Otani Workshop is the moniker of Japanese artist Shigeru Otani, whose ceramic sculptures explore the intersection of traditional craftsmanship, kawaii, and contemporary art. Best known for his expressive figures with exaggerated forms and textured surfaces, Otani creates works that reflect both his connection to Japanese ceramic traditions and his personal exploration of human emotion and spirituality, fusing this with a cartoon-like figuration. His sculptures often feature human faces and animals, rendered with a raw, tactile quality that imbues them with a sense of life and presence.

Otani grew up in Shiga Prefecture, near the town of Shigaraki, one of Japan's historic ceramic centers. After graduating from the sculpture program at the Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts, the artist moved to Shigaraki, and then to his studio on the island of Awaji. He has had solo shows at Kaikai Kiki Gallery, Tokyo, and Perrotin, in Paris, Seoul, and Hong Kong, amongst others.