Born in Shiga Prefecture in 1980, he started using the artist name Otani Workshop in 2005. Currently based in Shiga Prefecture town of Shigaraki, the artist works with wood, iron, and other materials in addition to ceramics. Otani’s works maintain the rough texture of coarse-grained clay, which, together with their cute appearances, give them their distinct air as sculptures. He participated in the group shows featuring ceramics curated by Takashi Murakami and held at Blum & Poe’s Los Angels and New York galleries in 2015 and 2016, respectively. In his solo show with Kaikai Kiki Gallery in 2016 titled “When I Was Seventeen, I Learned About Giacometti from My Art Teacher and Became Drawn to Sculpture—and So I Make Sculptures Now,” the artist explored the relationship between ceramics and sculptures.