A contemplative ceramic sculpture titled Bisui (Slumber) by Ōtsuka Mokichi, depicting a serene female face with gently closed eyes, enclosed in its original signed wooden box dated 2003. The elongated face, with its softly modeled nose, delicately parted lips, and narrow, incised eyelids, emerges from a rounded, almost egg-like form. Its surface is covered with thousands of minute white inlaid markings, creating a richly textured skin that seems to shimmer in the light. The head rests at an angle upon a simple, dark rectangular ceramic pedestal, its geometric severity providing a striking contrast to the organic softness of the face. The figure conveys a profound sense of stillness, suspended somewhere between sleep and wakefulness. The sculpture measures 20.5 x 19.5 x 33 cm (8.1 x 7.7 x 13 inches) including its stand; the head alone measures 25 x 19 x 17.5 cm (9.8 x 7.5 x 6.9 inches), and is in excellent condition.
The Japanese word madoromi, meaning drowsiness or light slumber, describes that fleeting state between consciousness and sleep, when the outside world begins to recede but awareness has not entirely disappeared. Ōtsuka captures this elusive moment through the quiet expression of the face and the gentle inclination of the head. The extraordinary density of the surface decoration lends the sculpture an almost luminous quality, suggesting a subtle vibration beneath its apparent stillness. Its simplicity of form and delicacy of expression recall the timeless serenity of ancient sculptural traditions while remaining distinctly contemporary.
Ōtsuka Mokichi (born 1956) studied Japanese painting at Tokyo University of the Arts, completing his graduate studies in 1981. In the 1990s he traveled to Italy, where he studied ceramics in Faenza, an experience that profoundly influenced his artistic development and led him toward terracotta sculpture. His work combines the sculptural traditions of the Mediterranean with a Japanese sensitivity to surface, material, and the expressive possibilities of restraint. Particularly celebrated for his contemplative female figures and distinctive white-inlaid surfaces, Ōtsuka has developed a highly individual artistic language in which the simplest human expressions suggest an expansive inner world. His works are represented in major museum collections in Japan and abroad.
