This large ceramic by Sakamoto Motoyuki captivates with its smooth surface and balanced arched shape. The slightly trapezoidal body features a discreet oval opening at the top. The glaze, a nuanced creamy white, reveals passages of ivory, beige, and pale gray, like layers of clouds. The color transitions, sometimes matte, sometimes satiny, create a subtle depth that captures the light without excessive shine. The overall impression is that of a peaceful mineral landscape, where each variation in tone emphasizes the regular but deliberately imperfect modeling of the piece.

Sakamoto Motoyuki (坂本素行), born in 1950 in Tokyo, first worked as an automobile designer for Nissan before turning to ceramics in the mid-1970s. Fascinated by the sobriety of Korean celadon, he taught himself surface and inlay research. He was selected in 1976 for the Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition and abandoned the industry in 1980 to devote himself entirely to his art. His work, marked by a keen sense of textures and nuances of ash, has been presented in Japanese department stores and galleries (Mitsukoshi, Takashimaya, Kuroda Tōen) as well as internationally, notably in New York. Several of his works are now held in Japanese public collections, including the Gifu Museum of Modern Ceramics and the Seto Museum of Art, which hold his inlaid glaze pieces.

Dimensions: 52 × 12 × 36 cm.

Tomobako signed