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Ryoko Watanabe, Back to Okiya : An Ivory Silent Ballet,
Ryoko Watanabe, Back to Okiya : An Ivory Silent Ballet,
Ryoko Watanabe, Back to Okiya : An Ivory Silent Ballet,
Ryoko Watanabe, Back to Okiya : An Ivory Silent Ballet,
Ryoko Watanabe, Back to Okiya : An Ivory Silent Ballet,
Ryoko Watanabe, Back to Okiya : An Ivory Silent Ballet,
Ryoko Watanabe, Back to Okiya : An Ivory Silent Ballet,
Ryoko Watanabe, Back to Okiya : An Ivory Silent Ballet,
Ryoko Watanabe, Back to Okiya : An Ivory Silent Ballet,
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Ryoko Watanabe, Back to Okiya : An Ivory Silent Ballet,
Ryoko Watanabe, Back to Okiya : An Ivory Silent Ballet,
Ryoko Watanabe, Back to Okiya : An Ivory Silent Ballet,
Ryoko Watanabe, Back to Okiya : An Ivory Silent Ballet,
Ryoko Watanabe, Back to Okiya : An Ivory Silent Ballet,
Ryoko Watanabe, Back to Okiya : An Ivory Silent Ballet,
Ryoko Watanabe, Back to Okiya : An Ivory Silent Ballet,
Ryoko Watanabe, Back to Okiya : An Ivory Silent Ballet,
Ryoko Watanabe, Back to Okiya : An Ivory Silent Ballet,
Ryoko Watanabe, Back to Okiya : An Ivory Silent Ballet,
Ryoko Watanabe, Back to Okiya : An Ivory Silent Ballet,
Ryoko Watanabe, Back to Okiya : An Ivory Silent Ballet,
Ryoko Watanabe, Back to Okiya : An Ivory Silent Ballet,
Ryoko Watanabe, Back to Okiya : An Ivory Silent Ballet,
Ryoko Watanabe, Back to Okiya : An Ivory Silent Ballet,
Ryoko Watanabe, Back to Okiya : An Ivory Silent Ballet,
Ryoko Watanabe, Back to Okiya : An Ivory Silent Ballet,
Ryoko Watanabe, Back to Okiya : An Ivory Silent Ballet,

Back to Okiya : An Ivory Silent Ballet, 2022
Ryoko Watanabe  

Sculpture : resin · 170 x 85 x 30 cm 66.9 x 33.5 x 11.8 inch

€22,000 22 000 €
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Shipped from: France

Delivery to: France Free delivery

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Verified Reviews : 9.6/10
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

resin

Display

The sculpture can be displayed outdoors

Dimensions ( cm • inch )

170 x 85 x 30 cm 66.9 x 33.5 x 11.8 inch Height x Width x Depth

Sold by

Art gallery

galerie jacob paulett • France

Credentials

Vetted seller since 2014

Description

Back to Okiya : An Ivory Silent Ballet by Ryoko Watanabe unfolds as a suspended apparition, a delicate moment where body, space, and memory converge in a silent choreography. Part of the series Wall Whispers : Breathing Life into Silence, the work transforms the wall into a living surface, allowing the figure of a traditionally dressed geisha to emerge with quiet grace, as though crossing an invisible threshold between past and present.
Rather than presenting a continuous form, Watanabe fragments the body into separate sculptural elements, creating a visual rhythm that invites viewers to mentally reconstruct the figure. This intentional discontinuity echoes the fragmented nature of memory and highlights how identity is layered through experience, tradition, and introspection.
The ivory tone, purposefully restrained, enhances the sensation of stillness and timelessness. It evokes classical Japanese sculptural traditions while suggesting emotional purity, where every contour becomes meaningful. The absence of color shifts attention toward volume, shadow, and the subtle breathing presence of the surface itself.
The title introduces the idea of return, not as a physical journey but as an inward reflection. The okiya, historically a place of discipline and artistic formation, becomes here a psychological space where the geisha reconnects with her origins, her rigor, and her poise. The implied motion within the sculpture reads less as movement through space and more as an introspective passage.
The tension between the softness of the sculpted curves and the rigidity of the wall generates a visual dialogue between freedom and constraint. Shadows extend the form beyond its physical limits, creating a secondary, shifting narrative that evolves with the viewer’s perspective and reinforces the idea that perception is inherently personal.
A major member of the Japanese studio CrazyNoodles, founded by Hiro Ando, Ryoko Watanabe consistently explores liminal spaces—between silence and expression, tradition and contemporaneity, presence and absence—through her sculptural language.
Through this wall piece, the artist sheds light on the complexity of feminine identity within contemporary Japanese society, balancing collective expectations with individual aspirations. The fragmentation of the figure becomes a metaphor for these layered roles, revealing a sensitivity that is both deeply personal and universally resonant.
With its refined formal restraint, masterful control of volume, and emotionally charged subtlety, Back to Okiya : An Ivory Silent Ballet transforms silence into a visual language. The work embodies the essence of Nippon Neo-Pop’s ability to merge aesthetic clarity with psychological depth, inviting prolonged contemplation rather than immediate interpretation.
Through its sculptural delicacy, spatial balance, and introspective poetry, Back to Okiya : An Ivory Silent Ballet stands as a compelling acquisition for collectors drawn to works where cultural memory and contemporary expression coexist with elegance. A piece that will resonate with admirers of Japanese Neo-Pop seeking creations in which silence, movement, and identity converse in rare visual harmony.

Portrait

Wall sculpture

Geisha

Japan

Neo-Pop

Asian Pop

Tokyo

White
Ryoko Watanabe

Ryoko Watanabe

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.

Pictorial Genre

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Painters

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