Character, Photos and Story by
Ana Isabel Pais
The Visitor
July 2023
Natural rock, clam shell, worn out shell and ceramic
Height: 12 cm
Unique handmade sculpture with natural rock face
Rock and shells collected in Estoril
Photographed in Estoril
Welcome to a new art concept - where sculpture, photography, and storytelling merge to give voice to a rock.
Suiseki are naturally shaped stones, sculpted by time and the elements, often resembling faces, animals, or mysterious beings.
This is a unique suiseki stone - sculpted by nature, discovered on the shore. This is a unique sculpture - crafted by human hands. This is the story of the Visitor.
I gave this "rock face" a ceramic body, allowing it to return to the place it once belonged - not as an ordinary stone but as a living character. Through photography, I captured its details, its silent expressions, and from these images, a story began to unfold. Unlike traditional storytelling, where words come first, here, the illustration - the rock itself, turned fictional character - precedes and inspires the narrative. The images become the catalyst for the story. This hybrid rock-ceramic entity is more than an art object - it is a messenger of a forgotten world, whispering stories to those willing to listen.
And so, the rocks begin to speak...
The story of Glop-O, the Visitor, will be the first to come out as a book.
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