Artist Sculpts, Bends, Wrinkles Stones

Rocks are one of the hardest elements known to man but according to José Manuel Castro López, they are perfect for manipulating. The Spain-based sculptor challenges the way we view solid objects by creating replicas of the real thing using granite and iron oxide and shapes them to give the illusion of pliability. Inspired by mythical stories from his culture where stones are spirits from the land, López imposes organic and malleable qualities to the the rock-like formations. Twisted, wrinkled, spliced, and folded, his sculptures are more than just a way to express his creativity: “My relationship with the stone is not physical, but magical. It recognizes me, it obeys me… we understand each other. My stones are not lifeless. They manifest themselves.”

For a related article, check out Stones Reimagined by Hiroshi Ito.