Dominique Pouchain Double-sided Ceramic Owl

A large ceramic sculpture by Dominique Pouchain, an artist born in Dieulefit in 1956, from a long line of ceramic sculptors in the Drôme region. He began his artistic journey at a very young age in the workshop of his parents, Jacques and Rolande Pouchain, and developed an immediately recognizable vocabulary, notably through the use of dark surfaces with oxide washes and a highly personal bestiary.


This work depicts a double-faced owl, rendered in a frontal and compact form, with characteristic circular perforations for the eyes and a repetitive relief decoration on the breast. The piece possesses a strong sculptural presence, enhanced by its black patina with golden highlights and its almost totemic treatment.


The double face lends the piece a particularly unique and decorative quality, in keeping with the spirit of the artist's larger animal sculptures. An expressive work, it clearly embodies the world of Dominique Pouchain: a restrained, powerful, and instantly identifiable bestiary, situated between sculpted ceramics and contemporary visual language.