song kang carves magical architectural landscapes in stone

portland based artist, song kang, creates intricate architectural environments for her sculpture series, ‘carved in stone’. the mixed media pieces are constructed using foam, plaster and paper mache yet appear to be carved into real stones. through kang’s careful assemblage and compositions, the architectural worlds have the illusion of emerging from solid rock. 

‘cathedral’ series creates the illusion of endless intricacy in space
all images © song kang 

kang explores both two-dimensional and three-dimensional planes for the series as architectural forms are imposed onto the ‘rocks’. the structures follow the curvature of the sculptural boulders, skewing the perspective and creating surreal environments which appear to be inhabitable. 

the ‘cathedral’ recreates gothic details through careful and precise carving

the architectural elements seem to blend with the surface of the stone, creating textural pieces that appear to be relief sculptures. individual pieces include the ‘cathedral’, ‘seastone’, ‘fort’, ‘sandstone’, and ‘urbanscape’. the dreamlike ‘scapes’ allude to distinct themes through their variation in color and use of materials. 

the ‘fort’ series is reminiscent of a medieval castle as the artist implies a fortified brick 

kang’s work combines her fascination with both structure and texture to create playful and tactile works. her dream-like projects turn ordinary buildings into whimsical worlds and both her drawings and sculptures inform one another and help redefine her craft. in her drawings in pen and ink, a similar fascination with layering and texture can be seen wherein seemingly endless worlds are depicted through careful shading. kang’s mastery of space and depth is here extended through the use of mixed media. 

‘fort’ detail

‘sandstone’ series suggests a tactile experience of sand and stone

‘sandstone’ detail

‘seastone’ series uses vibrant hues to recall a marine atmosphere

‘seastone’ detail demonstrates the variety in material and imaginative use of structural elements such as coral

foam and paper mache are used to create the illusion of stone

the embedded architectural structures are later painted