Miraculous Rock Art

Miraculous Rock Art

You could consider Akie Nakata to be a rock star of sorts, but not the one that usual comes to mind. 

Akie Nakata is a self-taught artist creating realistic animal designs using small stones and pebbles to make incredible art which you can hold in the palm of your hand.  She started this quirky journey as a stone artist in 2011, while taking a walk along a river bank, she came upon a particular stone that looked like a rabbit. In true Japanese spirit, she is inspired by the natural shapes of each stone and chooses ones she believes already have their own destined characters. “Stones have their own intentions, and I consider my encounters with them as cues to go ahead and paint what I see on them.”  From cats and dogs to owls, mice, and even an entire opossum family, each of Akie’s stone animals look remarkably lifelike. Painting the eyes last, Akie considers her work complete when she sees “the eyes are now alive” She continues on, “To me, completing a piece of work is not about how much detail I draw, but whether I feel the life in the stone.” As you view these magnificent pieces, you can understand what the word “Mastery” means. Currently she lives in Sayama Saitama.