2023 visual artist
Kenichi Hiratsuka
Sunrock, 2016, basalt, 5’ x 5’
Numbers correspond to exhibition map
On Grounds
5. Sunrock, 2016, basalt, 5’ x 5’
6. Stormy Rock, 2018, black granite totem mounted on corten steel base , 7.5’ high, 20” x 20”
Stormy Rock, 2018, black granite totem mounted on corten steel base , 7.5’ high, 20” x 20”
Statement
I hope that those who see my work will discover new aspects of life, deeper levels of experience of which they may be only dimly aware. I want to inspire people to become more conscious of nature and our common humanity. No matter how lifestyles change, the basic self remains the same. I want to help bring human beings together. In my art, there are no social, economic, cultural, or political distinctions. We are all one.
About Kenichi Hiratsuka
Kenichi (Ken) Hiratsuka is a Japanese-born, New York-based stone sculptor whose remarkable maze-like visual work has consistently fascinated viewers. Since his arrival in New York in 1982 as a student at the Art Students League, his immediate entrance into the Street Art Movement, and his 4-decade legacy of public and private works, Hiratsuka has redefined stone sculpture. Carving on granite and slate city sidewalks to make art accessible to everyone, he restored the original meaning of graffiti. Carving on boulders large and small in natural and urban sites Ken has created commissioned public monuments, as well as hidden gems later “discovered” as mysterious ancient artifacts. With sculptures in 25 countries to date, Hiratsuka’s “one continuous line in stone around the world” leads the viewer to reflect on the complex relationships between art and life, language and culture, through the action of a single individual. With an unwavering commitment, Ken Hiratsuka has created a distinctive and unique body of work. Some public works include: Wynwood Walls Museum, Miami, FL—3 granite boulders; granite street carving at Prince & Broadway from 1984; River (100-foot long commissioned carved granite sidewalk) at 25 Bond Street, NYC; Hillsdale Shopping Center Hiratsuka Stone Garden (9 boulders), San Mateo, CA; Tulip (standing granite sculpture) at 110 Greene, NYC; 12-boulder Peace Monument at Cowra Japanese Garden, Cowra, Australia; and KENROCK 2021, a fully hand-carved massive (30-ton) glacier rock commissioned by Crystal Park in Holmes, NY. https://www.kenrock.com