Sekitori : An Ivory Silent Strength, 2022
Ryoko Watanabe  

Sculpture : resin · 150 x 180 x 50 cm 59.1 x 70.9 x 19.7 inch

€22,000 22 000 €
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Shipped from: France

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Verified Reviews : 9.6/10
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About the artwork

Type

Sculpture : numbered and limited to 8 copies

1 copy available

Condition

Artwork sold in perfect condition

Authenticity

Sold with certificate of Authenticity from the artist

Invoice from the gallery

Signature

Engraved signature

Technique & Support

Dimensions ( cminch )

150 x 180 x 50 cm 59.1 x 70.9 x 19.7 inch Height x Width x Depth

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Credentials

Vetted seller since 2014

Description

Sekitori : An Ivory Silent Strength is a wall-mounted sculpture of striking restraint by Ryoko Watanabe, exploring the delicate threshold between stillness and contained motion.
Part of the series Wall Whispers : Breathing Life into Silence, the work depicts a sumotori figure appearing to emerge gradually from the wall’s surface.
Constructed from multiple assembled segments, the body hovers between two spatial dimensions, neither fully embedded nor entirely free.
The open posture, with arms extended and knees flexed, suggests both grounding and outward projection.
A uniform ivory finish emphasizes purity of form, redirecting attention toward volume and contour.
Here, Watanabe prioritizes spatial breathing over narrative detail.
The wall transforms from passive support into an active, living membrane.
Light travels across the sculpture, casting evolving shadows that extend the gesture beyond the physical form.
The sumotori appears to negotiate gravity, as if quietly pushing against planar limits.
This illusion grants the piece an almost performative presence.
The silence referenced in the title becomes an internal resonance rather than absence.
The figure does not impose itself; it invites slow, attentive contemplation.
Fragmentation within the form subtly alludes to identity as an ongoing reconstruction.
Physical strength is reinterpreted as visual meditation.
Viewers perceive both the mass and vulnerability embedded in the figure.
The absence of environmental context enhances the sculpture’s universality.
As a major member of the Japanese studio CrazyNoodles, founded by Hiro Ando, Watanabe develops a practice where tradition and innovation coexist with quiet precision.
Her exploration of wall-based forms redefines the spatial language of contemporary Japanese sculpture.
Sekitori : An Ivory Silent Strength demonstrates her ability to transform architectural surfaces into sensory narratives.
The restrained palette amplifies the emotional impact of the composition.
The work functions as a visual breath within any exhibition setting.
Through its volumetric control, subtle transitions, and understated authority, Sekitori : An Ivory Silent Strength stands as a sculpture of remarkable presence.
A compelling acquisition for collectors of contemporary Japanese art and Neo-Pop, particularly those drawn to works that examine materiality, silence, and the poetic tension between movement and stillness.

Nude

Wall sculpture

Japan

Neo-Pop

Asian Pop

Sumo

Tokyo

White

Japan  • 1973

Presentation

Ryoko Watanabe is a Japanese artist born in 1973 in Sapporo, Japan. He draws his inspiration from the cultural heritage of his region and from the power of Japanese stereotypes such as Sumotori, Geishas and Samourai Warriors. She exploits these subjects with talent and turns stereotypes to her advantage by exploiting their reputation in order to convey an artistic message. In the artist's work we can perceive a strong nostalgia and a desire to preserve the cultural heritage of Japan and its unique personages which are part of the country's history. In her paintings she depicts subjects such as the culture of her country with a unique technique that combines ancient Japanese elements with those of modern life in Japan. What is more striking than her choice of subjects such as the Sumotoris or the Samourais is where she places these subjects. Instead of placing them in traditional arenas or castles, they are placed on crowded streets, buses or in subway stations in an attemp to create a humorous contrast. Her technique consists in always putting her subjects on the foreground and in color, even if the background is left black and white. This way she draws attention to them and places them at the center of the viewer's attention. Since 2008, her work has been exhibited in numerous galleries all around the world.

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