Takayuki Narita
stone carver
Born in Makabe Town, Ibaraki Prefecture in 1965. Representative of Narita Stone Carving. Certified by the Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare, first-class craftsman, and governor-certified manufacturing master. Winner of the Japan Stone Competition, Ibaraki Prefectural Art Festival, and stone carving competition to decorate the Ibaraki Mountain Foot Love Road 50 Iwase "Stoneworker's Path", runner-up in the 2001 TV Champion "1st National Stoneworker Championship". Received the Senator Kitamura Award at the 21st Century Art Borderless Exhibition (National Art Center, Tokyo) in 2022.
In Makabe, a town of stone with a history dating back to before the Kamakura period, he creates highly original works using mainly local Makabe stone, as well as domestic and foreign stone materials, such as sculptures, Buddhist statues, lanterns, gravestones, animals, monuments, stone furniture, etc. He is one of only 10 Makabe stone craftsmen left who can "communicate with stone."
