A stone wall as an accent can make a room look absolutely charming — if it is done correctly. Stone walls have rustic, timeless qualities that call to mind ancient building techniques and times past. Still, would you ever really consider a stone wall to be a work of art?
Thanks to one incredibly skilled duo, you might. Andreas Kunert and Naomi Zettl, a couple based in Vancouver Island, are the masterminds behind Ancient Art of Stone. Their works of art provide private residences and public spaces alike with sweeping murals made entirely from carefully arranged stones.
Kunert and Zettl create these pieces — which can reach hundreds of feet — from thousands of carefully chosen stones.
This mural, created for the town of View Royal in British Columbia, measures 12 feet by 650 feet, and is the largest public mural created by the pair.
Spheres and other geometric forms are included in the walls as foils to the natural shapes of the rest of the stones.
Swirling, labyrinthine patterns and focal points like spheres and crystals are a hallmark of their creations.
Both Kunert and Zettl have a deep appreciation for nature and natural forms, and enjoy being able to celebrate them in works of art that combine ancient and modern aesthetics.
Kunert is a trained stone mosaicist and has worked professionally with stone for more than 20 years. He always had an appreciation for the medium, and uses the stones he encounters as inspirations for his pieces. Zettl, whose background is in sculpture, works with Kunert to create harmonious compositions that speak to the unique personality of the location, as well as a deep love for and connection with the Earth.
Though subtle, the wavelike pattern in this wall sets it apart from your average stone walls.
Stones can also be brought inside, transforming a regular home into an earthy retreat.
Some of their pieces, like this fireplace, are carved out of one massive stone.
This one also has steel accents.
This fireplace, inspired by an ancient burial ground near the clients’ home, incorporates a piece of a tree.
Many of Zettl and Kunert’s pieces also have a spiritual dimension, channeling stone circles (the modern versions of which they also make), prehistoric sacred spaces, and primal traditions to create something that’s at once modern and ancient. As they put it, “Our aspiration in coming together, is to create sacred spaces, portals and other connective works of art that allow our clients and viewers a visual glimpse of the other side, what is invisible to our human eyes but felt within.”
Some pieces, like this smaller mural, also include items like fossils, shells, crystals, and semi-precious stones. This mosaic also includes volcanic ash from Mount St. Helens.
(via Twisted Sifter)
You can see much more of this talented couple’s work on their website, and watch their newest projects unfold with lots of cool in-progress images on their Facebook page. If you love their work but don’t have a place to put a stone mural, never fear. High-quality prints of their work are available on their online shop.
