For Akiya Nakata, stones are not just materials or canvases
on which she paints.
Rocks are all around us, the Earth itself is a giant rock.
This is probably why stones do not attract much attention from people, we
ignore them and consider them boring.
Akiya Nakata, also known as the Stone Artist, sees an
exception to this rule. She paints adorable animals on rocks and has built up a
solid collection over time.
For Nakata, stones are not just materials or canvases on
which she paints. First, on her usual walk along the river bank, she finds a
rock that catches her eye.
“When I find a stone, I feel like this stone has found me
too. The stones have their own intentions and I believe that my encounters with
them are a clue that it is good to go ahead and draw what I see on them.
Therefore, the stones I choose to paint are not random, they inspire me to work
with them.”
Akiya Nakata is especially sensitive to stones. She leaves
them intact and doesn't smooth them out because she loves to stay true to the
stone that inspired her.
“The art I want to create is life born in my hands through my dialogue with stone. I want to draw the life that I feel inside the stone. I think my work is only completed when I see that his eyes are alive and looking straight at me," she shares.
