Circle and Top

Circle and Top depicts one of Wako's recurring subjects — the traditional Japanese wooden spinning top (koma) — set against his characteristic deep black ground. The composition likely places the top in dialogue with a geometric circular form, either a shadow cast by the toy or a painted ring on its surface, creating a tension between the object's three-dimensionality and flat abstraction. Wako's lithographic technique, developed under Takeshi Hara at Tokyo Zokei University, allows him to build velvety tonal density through successive ink layers on stone or plate, giving the black field a tactile depth that photographic reproduction rarely captures. The top, a toy with roots in Japanese festivals and folk culture, recurs across Wako's work as a vehicle for exploring surface texture, rotational symmetry, and the quiet presence of handmade objects.