Katsura Funakoshi (1951–2024) was one of Japan’s leading artists, recognised for his ethereal figurative sculptures meticulously carved from camphor wood. Among his best known works are his subtly painted busts with marble eyes, which he began making in the 1980s and continued exploring throughout his career, introducing extra heads, limbs and other surreal elements as he increasingly mixed fantasy with reality. Offering a contemporary interpretation of the traditional portrait bust found across Western and Eastern art history, their abstract and poetic titles suggest enigmatic narratives. Though his figures seldom depict actual likenesses, each one of Funakoshi’s creations is intensely personal, evoking the presence of a real person. Their distant, ambiguous expressions, characterised by slender features, elongated necks and pronounced foreheads, convey a sense of serenity and inner strength. Wearing a metal collar and sculpted with downcast eyes, this example invites viewers to step close and ponder the character’s inner thoughts.