A wonderfully tactile carving, Animal is a charming example of Miki’s strong eye for outline, as well as his penchant for geometric, radically simplified forms that would characterize the artist’s works of the 1970s. Here, Miki sensitively constructs his Animal by creating flat planes and rounded angles to shape the essential silhouette of the animal. The result of his judicious, minimalist carving style creates a work that possesses a sensitive, linear rhythm. Animal conveys the power and control of Miki as an artist, even when working on an intimate scale. The final touch of whimsical refinement is the use of four drilled holes to depict Miki’s characteristic eyes and nostrils.