These Incredible Hand-Carved Stones Look Like They’re Made of Soft Putty

Rocks don’t exactly have the most malleable surfaces, but the work of artist José Manuel Castro López might make you think otherwise. He carves real stones to make them look as though they have soft, fabric-like wrinkles and creases. The illusion is awe-inspiring and speaks to the reverence that López has for his subject. “My relationship with the stone is not only physical but also magical,” López tells My Modern Met. “They manifest, they obey me, we understand each other.”

Starting with ordinary pieces of quartz or granite, the talented sculptor always takes into consideration the natural shape and texture of the stone before he starts carving. “I adapt to its essence,” López explains. “I take advantage of its qualities and I try to get the best out of it.” Not only does he create incredibly fluid forms from stone, but he always makes sure to restore the rock’s original texture. “I remove where it needs to be removed and I leave where it needs to be left,” he says. “And I remove the trace of the tool with textures and oxides.” The resulting stone sculptures look as though they’ve been slowly eroded and formed by nature's elements rather than created by man.