hirotoshi ito carves stone into flexible sculptures that play with perception

japanese artist hirotoshi ito carves unpolished rock to form sculptures that play with the perception of the viewer. ito carves away sections of the naturally-textured stone to create the illusion of motion and flexibility.

images courtesy of hirotoshi ito

ito collects his rocks from a stream near to his home in japan, before carving them with surgical precision. inspired by surrealists such such as rené magritte and salvador dalí, in his hands, common rock becomes strange, unsettling and humorous.

the properties of rock appear completely subverted. instead of hard and unmalleable, it is perceived as pliable and soft. some stones seem to be cut with a knife, whilst others are opened with a hinge, revealing their contents, another is tied in a knot.

‘although I work with various kinds of stones, most of my work consists of optimizing a stone’s original shape,’ ito says. ‘a smile on the beholder’s face is the main motivation for my work.’

born in 1964, ito comes from a family who has been involved with stonework since 1879. whilst working towards taking over his family business, he entered the metal work department of tokyo university of the arts. today, when he when he is not shaping stone into playful designs, he creates tombstones, monuments, and other sculptures.