BRITISH sculptor Ken Smith yesterday unveiled his latest piece of work, the six tonne, two metre, marble sculpture which symbolises a struggle towards unity.
Hewn from gris deba marble, the piece was commissioned by Read's Hotel in Santa Maria and Ken started work on the sculpting two-and-a-half years ago.
Obviously, I have not been working continually on the piece, I've been coming back and forth from the UK, but I guess in total, it's been a year's work, Ken said.
It's been an interesting journey for me, I've never done such a large piece and never worked with diamond cutting tools, so apart from the fact I've learnt a lot about my art, I've also learnt a lot about myself.
Working alone all this time, I've experienced many feelings and sensations, all of which, one way or another, have been channelled into the sculpture. The sculpture is all about two people getting to know each other before finding unity, a sort of pre-marriage relationship, with all the highs and lows, sadness and passion.
I'm delighted with the finished piece, it's better than I thought, Ken admits.
Ken's work over the years has attracted a great deal of interest world wide but his latest piece, according to leading London art critic Phillip Van, is set to change his life.
Van, who was at yesterday's unveiling in the hotel gardens along with art critics and gallery owners from Germany and the United States who had travelled to Majorca especially for the presentation says it is the most powerful piece he has seen in years.
Van is not the only person to have been deeply moved by the sculpture.
A visitor to the marble works in Binnissalem where Ken has been cutting and grinding away for the past two years, burst into tears when she first saw and touched the piece.
As the six tonne sculpture was lowered on its plinth in the Read's Hotel gardens early on Wednesday morning, Ken's mixed emotions matched those in his latest piece of art.
While still based in the UK, Ken has learnt much from his time in Majorca.
Working with the local craftsmen has been an enriching experience the light is also fantastic, we just don't have this kind of natural light back home.
I have also found Majorca so inspiring, he says.
In between working on unity, Ken has also produced a number of other sculptures, obviously slightly smaller, his work is rarely larger than 50 centimetres high.
He is currently working on a Buddha in a field near Petra and would love to continue working in Majorca, however he also has to wait and see just how unity is going to change his life.
As an art student, he was encouraged to continue sculpting by Henry Moore, although his journey from art school to Majorca has taken Ken along many paths which have thrown up many experiences and sensations, from which he has drawn to create unity.
Perhaps Ken will discover that the sculpture not only represents two human beings
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