Artist
Artist
TOMINAGA Atsuya
Japan
Love Stone Project EXPO 2025
Five heart-shaped stone sculptures will be placed at the EXPO 2025 venue. Each stone will come from one of the five continents—America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania—symbolizing the unity of our planet. By bringing these stones together in one space, we express the idea that the Earth is one. Visitors from around the world will have the opportunity to polish the stones together, representing the universal wishes of humanity love and peace that transcend borders and cultures. The stones, shaped by the collective effort of people from all over the world, will shine eternally, preserving the spirit of EXPO 2025 for generations to come.
Profile
Born 1961 in Osaka City, Osaka, Japan. 1986 graduated from Kanazawa College of Art, and began working at Nose Black Granite Quarry (Toyono-gun, Osaka). In 1997, he received a grant from the Pola Art Foundation to stay and work in Italy (~1998). 2013: Started Love Stone Project in various places in the world. He won the Grand Prize at the 25th UBE Biennale (Contemporary Japanese Sculpture Exhibition) and has held solo exhibitions in Japan and abroad. From 2021, Love Stone Project-Nagano will be held at Nagano Prefectural Museum of Art.
Website
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Credits
Sponsored by Osaka-sekizai Co.,Ltd.
[Study: Osaka Kansai International Art Festival / EXPO PUBLIC ART]
Partner City
Matsubara City
Sponsorship
Workshop
As part of the "Love Stone Project" by sculptor TOMINAGA Atsuya, a stone polishing workshop with the theme of "love and peace" will be held for approximately six months from Saturday, April 19th at the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo site.
Please join us for this special experience where you can calm your mind and share your thoughts about peace by polishing stones. Participation is free.
◯Stone Polishing Workshop Schedule (Tentative)
April 19th (Sat) #80
April 20th (Sun) #80
May 10th (Sat) #200
May 11th (Sun) #200
May 24th (Sat) #400
May 25th (Sun) #400
June 7th (Sat) #800
June 8th (Sun) #800
September 6th (Sat) #1500
September 7th (Sun) #1500
September 20th (Sat) #3000
September 21th (Sun) #3000
October 4th (Sat) #6000
October 5th (Sun) #6000
How to Join / Location:
Please come directly to the artwork site in front of the West Gate during the event hours.No advance registration is required.
Time:
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM (on each workshop day)
※The event may be canceled or suspended due to weather conditions.
※Dates and number of sessions are subject to change.
※This workshop takes place inside the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai venue. A separate Expo admission ticket is required for participation.
※There is no additional fee to participate in this workshop.
◯Workshop Process
The stones will be polished to a gleaming shine through a seven-step sanding process, using sandpapers graded #80, #200, #400, #800, #1500, #3000, and #6000. Throughout the duration of the project, all seven types of sandpaper will be available at the venue, allowing participants to engage in water polishing by hand. From the opening of Expo 2025 in April to its closing in October, visitors will witness the transformation of the initially rough stones into radiant surfaces. By the end of the Expo, the five stones, once coarse, will shine brilliantly and reflect the sky over Yumeshima. During the process, each stage of polishing brings out a unique texture and charm, offering a visually engaging experience for all visitors.
