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Antalya-based artist Suleyman Sari, who creates artwork from tiny natural pebbles without altering them, made a portrait of the Roman philosopher Seneca from 28,400 pebbles for the grand prize of an international event in Italy.
Sari first started taking an interest in stones as a child during his apprenticeship under a master. For 34 years, he has been creating works from pebbles collected on beaches, without altering their structure or color.
In the workshop he set up at home, Sari places micro-sized natural stones one by one by hand to create his artwork.
His works have been exhibited in various provinces of Türkiye and in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and his fame has spread beyond the country’s borders.
Sari and his wife, Nejla Sari, were invited to the Lucius Annaeus Seneca International Academic Awards for Contemporary Literature, an event organized by the Academy of Arts and Philosophical Sciences in Bari, Italy.
Commissioned to design the ceremony’s grand prize, Sari completed a portrait of the Roman thinker Seneca in five months using 28,400 natural pebbles.
Traveling to Italy with his wife, Sari presented his custom-designed grand prize to its recipient at the ceremony, which was attended by artists, academics, and philosophers from around the world.
Four of his other works, crafted using the same technique, were displayed at the historic castle in Bari.
During the event, Academy President Massimo Massa presented the artist with the “Premio Metamorfosi Creativa” (Creative Metamorphosis Award).
Sari noted that creating the grand prize carried immense personal responsibility. Explaining that he prepared the piece with meticulous care, he shared that he was asked to create a 42 by 32 cm portrait of Seneca, and used 28,400 pebbles to complete it
“I had to work with extreme precision because I wanted to present my art to the world,” he said, adding that the piece garnered significant attention from Italian art enthusiasts over the five months it took to complete.
Noting that artists and academics examined his works at length at the event, Sari said he explained that he developed this technique himself and wants to spread it around the world. He said he also told them he uses stones between one and three millimeters.
“I was very happy with the interest my work received,” he said. Presenting the award to the artist who won the grand prize was also a source of pride for him, he added. “As a Turkish artist, I was deeply honored to represent Türkiye,” Sari said.
He said he prepares certificates for each work showing the number of stones used and the features of the piece, thereby documenting the authenticity of his works.
Stressing that patience is important in his art, Sari said he completed his wild horse painting, which uses 170,000 pebbles, in 13 months, and that the works in his “Mythological Mediterranean Gods” series each consist of about 60,000 to 62,000 natural stones.
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