Living with Stone: The Work of Masatoshi Izumi

Masatoshi Izumi (1938–2021) was a master Japanese stonecarver and artist, best known for his twenty-year collaboration with the sculptor Isamu Noguchi. Born into a multi-generational lineage of stonemasons in Mure, Kagawa, Izumi possessed a profound technical understanding of hard stones like basalt and granite. In 1964, he met Noguchi and became his “most trusted collaborator,” helping realize monumental works such as Black Sun. Noguchi’s younger brother was a photographer and documented their collaborations. The result is this book. Rare—and from the library of Toshi Katayama.