MEDSAN - Mount Onigiri (おにぎり山) - Hand Signed

With this square-format work, the artist moves away from the central portrait characteristic of his previous canvases to explore a choral and miniature composition, reminiscent of the meticulous labour scenes from Hokusai’s manga sketchbooks. This giclée features a monumental onigiri (traditional rice ball), treated not as a mere food item but as a true topographic structure, even a sacred mountain, stormed by a multitude of tiny Edo-period characters.

The visual ingenuity rests on the profusion of details and the scale mismatch. Workers, peasants in conical hats, and armored samurai bustle around and atop the giant grain of rice. Equipped with ropes, bamboo ladders, pickaxes, and brooms, they seem to build, climb, or exploit this culinary structure as if it were a grand engineering project. The modern ironic touch sits at the heart of the composition: the black nori seaweed sheet is not uniform but entirely covered with a repeating motif of the artist’s signature in Katakana (メドサン), acting as a watermark or a discreet digital code.

The impact of the composition is supported by a solid, vibrant turquoise background, which perfectly separates the textured whiteness of the rice grains from the earthy tones of the workers’ traditional clothing. The absence of a classic cartouche is compensated here by the signature directly integrated at the heart of the subject, affirming the piece’s playful character.

A bustling and witty work that invites the viewer to observe its multiple vignettes, ideal for adding a touch of humor, originality, and offbeat elegance to a contemporary interior, especially in a convivial space like a kitchen or dining room.

Technical specifications:
Artist: Medsan
Reference: Onigiri / Food / Miniature / Samurai / Construction site / Ukiyo-e / Pop Art / Humour
Dimensions: 40 × 40 cm
Edition: Limited edition
Year: 2026
Support: Giclées mounted on wooden stretchers (thickness approx. 2 cm)
Signature: Yes, signed in the work (on the nori seaweed) and by hand
Condition: Excellent
Certificate: Certificate of authenticity (upon request)

About the Studio:
Atelier Joconde is a studio of artists gathered around a living and plural contemporary creation. Installed like a true art production space, the studio operates both in collective creation and in individual approaches, depending on the projects and works. Atelier Joconde is also a family venture. Le Yack, a contemporary figurative painter, develops a narrative and introspective body of work with cinematic and realistic influences. By his side, Medsan, oriented toward pop art painting, explores colour, modern iconography, and visual culture. Finally, Neo Pablo pursues a more instinctive search, blending abstract art, naïve art, and figurative abstraction. Each work is conceived, produced, and followed within the studio, with a shared artistic standard and a unique identity for each artist.

Keywords:
Medsan, Atelier Joconde, Le Yack, Onigiri, Rice ball, Nori, Miniature, Lilliputian, Samurai, Peasant, Worker, Construction site, Mountain, Ukiyo-e, Japanese print, Pop Art, Humour, Gastronomy, Cuisine, Turquoise, Giclée, Contemporary art, Designer décor, Square format. Edo, Ukiyo-e