HOMO FABER FELLOWSHIP
Joseba Lekuona
©Hartea
Joseba Lekuona
©Hartea
Joseba Lekuona
©Hartea
Joseba Lekuona
©Hartea
Joseba Lekuona
©Hartea
Joseba Lekuona
©Hartea

Joseba Lekuona

Stone sculpting

Urnieta, Spain

Plates sculpted for the hand's curve

  • Joseba designs sculptural plates that form remarkable shapes once stacked
  • He created tableware for Michelin-starred restaurant Mugaritz in 2013
  • His pieces are inspired by his fascination for undulated designs

Joseba Lekuona was trained in the stonemasonry tradition of Pamplona, a Roman heritage city shaped by layers of history and stone. His early work focused on structural masonry. Joseba discovered a sensory-based approach to stone through gastronomy in 2013, when he was invited to design tableware for the two Michelin star restaurant called Mugaritz in Rentería in Basque Country. “I was drawn by the material power of stone and its uniqueness. It invited me to explore its aesthetic qualities, its veins and colours, through artistic creations,” he says. Joseba deconstructs monolithic stones through undulating cross-sections, reassembling them with mathematical precision and intuitive spatial sensitivity into singular, sculpted tableware.

Joseba Lekuona is an expert artisan: he began his career in 1993

Discover his work

GestaltHerbeltzRed sandstone from BaztanMakaelgo argiaIgantziko urdina

INTERVIEW

Basque cosmogony and tradition are deeply rooted in the earth and its mineral composition. Stone is not only a resource, it is also linked to Basque tangible and intangible heritage. The border with the Pyrenees makes it a very special geological site, giving special characteristics to marble and limestone.

Undulation has a philosophical reference to Heraclitus’ Panta Rhei – that everything is in constant flux. I express this concept artistically through wavelike forms. My work is all different, there is not one piece like the other. It also represents a communication continuum through the material element.

I worked on a head sculpture in Carrara marble during the pandemic. It was a daring attempt to figuratively sculpt a head by applying the cross-section technique. This required a high sense of proportion and detail to execute properly. It took me around five months to complete, and I had no potential buyer – just my free exploration.

The signature design of my tableware stems from the hand and how it curves to contain what it is holding. It requires a process of understanding material properties and patiently refining form, proportion and function, which is essential to sustainable design. Eating from a small sculpted plate must be a memorable sensory experience.

Joseba Lekuona

Stone sculptor

Urnieta, Spain

ADDRESS

Oztaran 30A, 20130, Urnieta, Spain

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AVAILABILITY

By appointment only

PHONE

+34 628552300

LANGUAGES

Spanish

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