This ceramic sculpture “Man #2”, created by Cesc Abad in 2025, is part of a series of works that ironically and cheekily explore the limits of human representation. Measuring 20.5 x 9 x 6.5 cm, the figure is presented nude, standing on a cylindrical base decorated in blue with geometric motifs. The modeling is deliberately rough, with an expressionist finish, giving the sculpture a primitive yet contemporary feel.
The male figure is depicted with obvious bodily disproportion, accentuated by defiant gestures and a marked emphasis on the sexual organs, a characteristic feature of Abad’s work, where humor, the grotesque, and the critical intertwine. The piece combines glazes in shades of pink, black, and red that reinforce the theatricality of the gesture, simultaneously reminiscent of the polychromy of European popular ceramics and the color schemes of contemporary Catalan ceramics.
The face, with large, circular red eyes, a dark beard, and a half-open mouth, creates an ambivalent impression somewhere between a caricature and a ritual mask. This ambiguity connects with ancient traditions where human figures were used as symbols of fertility, power, or social mockery. However, Abad brings these references to the realm of contemporary art, questioning notions of masculinity, the body, and representation.
The signature on the inside of the base, with initials in red, reinforces the idea of a unique piece within a highly personal artistic production that blends the highbrow and the popular. Its excellent conservation allows the full appreciation of the material and color details.
In a broader context, this sculpture can be linked to the traditions of European grotesque ceramics—such as the satirical figures of 18th-century England or humorous Italian terracotta—but also to the contemporary aesthetics of artists who explore the ugly and the irreverent as a form of social and cultural reflection.
