This sculpture, titled Father Sun, was created in 2003 in An Giang, Vietnam, by Japanese sculptor Yasushi Hori.
Artist: Yasushi Hori. He is a renowned Japanese stone sculptor who has participated in numerous international sculpture symposia around the world.
Title: Father Sun (2.5 m W).
Material: Granite.
Location & Date: Created in An Giang, Vietnam, in 2003.
Concept & Theme: Father Sun is an abstract stone sculpture that explores the primordial relationship between the sun, nature, and human existence. The composition is formed from massive blocks of granite, retaining their original rough and monumental character while being carefully carved to reveal an organic central form.
At the heart of the sculpture, the stone appears to open and fold inward, creating a powerful organic form that can be interpreted as a symbolic figure or a natural force emerging from the earth. The contrast between the sharply geometric blocks on either side and the softer, curved central carving creates a dialogue between strength and tenderness, permanence and movement.
The title Father Sun evokes the sun as an ancient and universal source of light, warmth, energy, and life. In many cultures, the sun has been personified as a paternal or generative force, sustaining the natural world and giving rhythm to the cycles of growth and renewal. Hori translates this idea into stone, using the material’s massive weight and permanence to suggest the enduring power of the sun.
The sculpture’s rough surfaces preserve the geological character of the granite, while the more refined central forms introduce a sense of life emerging from an otherwise primordial mass. This contrast reflects Hori’s characteristic approach to stone sculpture, in which the natural character of the material remains an essential part of the artistic expression.
Created in An Giang, Vietnam, a region closely associated with fertile agricultural landscapes and the Mekong Delta, Father Sun can also be understood as a poetic reflection on the forces that sustain life: sunlight, earth, water, and human cultivation. The work transforms the massive stone into a symbolic image of a generative force connecting the natural world with humanity.
Through its monumental scale, raw granite surfaces, and organic central form, Father Sun expresses themes of origin, vitality, fertility, nature, and the enduring relationship between humanity and the forces of the earth and sky.
