Makoto Fujiwara is a Japanese sculptor who spent most of his working life in Europe, far from his homeland: a small temple deep in the Japanese mountains. This book developed over four years as both a document of his work as a stone sculptor and a deeply personal account of his tireless playful curiosity and authentic tenacity in seeking to understand the world. Following the calling of his given name—Makoto, “in truth”—he committed himself to a seemingly impenetrable material: stone. This collection of stories, streams of observations, events and ideas, scribbled by the artist on large sheets of paper, draws us into complicity as we witness countless iterations of chiselling and polishing unfolding over long periods; the preparatory work of exploring, recognising, lifting and moving; the subsequent landscaping and installation; and the many social interactions along the way, as he invites colleagues to collaborate and shares his friends' work. The world that unfolds inspires an appreciation of the unconditional and deliberate among those of us who regard “undo” as an ever-available option. Following Makoto's death, we are left to finish this book in good faith, sadly without his final seal of approval.
 
— Andreas Schneider