Joseba Lekuona

Hartea

Stone sculptor

©Hartea

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 Michelin-starred Mugaritz restaurant 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.

Interview

©Hartea

©Hartea

How is your work linked to the Basque territory?: 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.
Where does your fascination with undulated designs stem from?: Undulation has a philosophical reference to Heraclitus’ panta rhe – 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.
Which project posed a major challenge to construct?: 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.
How did your involvement in gastronomy awaken your creativity?: 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 is an expert artisan: he began his career in 1993