A classically trained painter, Roland Mikhail trades paintbrush for chisel as he dives into the wonderful world of stone.
Roland is part of Precision Stones' subdivision, the North American Sculpture Center, a residency program that provides tools, materials, and mentorship to accepted applicants.
Over the last ten years, Roland's paintings have been inspired by sculpture, specifically stone sculpture. The texture of stone is something that has always been featured in his work, even unconsciously.
ELEPHANT, Acrylic on panel 36x43 in.
Further examples of Roland's work influenced by stone
The idea of working with a different medium came from an innocent place. A friend of his gave him some clay to mess around with and from there he was hooked. Being able to manipulate a medium with his hands, and express his artistry in a new form was exciting. He says it was a gradual transition into, "how can I take this even further? "
He began looking up videos of people stone sculpting and ironically discovered Jago
(@jago.artist) another resident of North American Sculpture Center (NASC)
A few months later, they met up at The Armory Show in NY, and it was suggested that Roland should apply for the residency program.
His latest piece is a baby sculpted out of marble.
images of Roland sculpting
the clay model vs. marble
The dots along the surface of the baby's face and body are measurements, taken using what is called a "pointing" tool, used to get exact measurements from one sculpture to another. Most sculptors use this when transitioning between their mold and final piece.
What inspired you to carve a baby?
"The theme of babies has been in my work for a while now. I've been having consistent dreams and fantasies of them. I think it symbolic of the things happening in my life right now. Babies can be seen as symbolic of new life and new endeavors. My life has changed a lot in the past year and I think sculpting a baby portrayed those changes."
When asked when he thinks he will complete it, he stated " As long as it takes"
You can find more of Roland's work at:
Instagram: @rolandmikhail
Website: www.rolandmikhail.com
For more information on our residency program, please visit.: https://www.stonesculpture.com/residency
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