Don Matsumura has been working stone for over 20 years. As the supervisor, superintendent and then general manager of a local quarry he jokingly states his job was to make small stone out of large stone. In 2012 his father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s; in 2013 he retired to help take care of him and to pursue his passion of working stone in a different way.
He thought, “Stone is so intimidating. How do you shape, carve and hollow out a material that is so hard?” But as he started working this material he quickly realized how fragile stone is and that to work with it meant appreciating both qualities – hardness and fragility.”
Today he strives to make delicate stone bowls, whose designs and shapes come from ancient Hawaiian and contemporary forms. He also finds and presents stones, seeing their natural beauty and sometimes coaxing their beauty out by spending time with them, playing with, touching, and listening to them.
Don says, “This may sound weird, but it is true; Stone is alive for me.”
Don invites the viewer to discover themselves in his work, like a child looking at something never before seen, wondering, “What is that? How was it made? What does it mean? What is it supposed to be?” The “child” can then come up with his or her own answers.
“I think so many of us have lost the ability to use our imagination. I like to create things of beauty that make people wonder, whether it’s through a finished piece or through the process of making it.”
- Don Matsumura