| 'This brown one,' he tells me, 'is over ten | | | | them in my mind I know all about them. Look |
| years old. She has a good time here until she | | | | around you, my animals, dogs, donkey, |
| dies of heart failure', he quips.I had parked | | | | rabbits, ducks, and my birds, I have learnt |
| my car at the Stone Grill Restaurant near | | | | from them, I know how they function.' What |
| Karaoglanoglu and walked along an alley of | | | | about your human figures, have you also |
| stone statues standing guard for the man I | | | | studied them as closely? 'Oh yes I have, the |
| have come to interview, a legendary artist in | | | | human body has always been one of my main |
| many disciplines. A skilled carpenter - | | | | concerns through all my life. You know, I |
| perhaps you have one of his carved chests or | | | | have been exercising mine every single day of |
| mirrors in your house. He was once an acrobat | | | | my life, and it had thrilled me so much that |
| in the circus and for the past 30 years he | | | | I become an acrobat. 'Yes, I can see that, |
| expresses himself as a sculptor and artist in | | | | his ladies are all very fit and, if I may say |
| questions of life. I stopped at a huge uncut | | | | so, very acrobatic. |
| piece of stone, put my hand out to touch it. | | | | |
| Ali sees the question in my eyes. 'I buy my | | | | I want to know more. What kind of tools is he |
| stone from a place in the mountains near | | | | using? When I look at these huge pieces of |
| Gazimagosa . They put fire in the belly of | | | | nearly two square metersl wonder how he cuts |
| the mountain and out come pieces like this | | | | them into a workable size? Does he use |
| one. It is like a birth. Not every piece is | | | | electrical power? |
| suited for my work. So, when I have to choose | | | | |
| from them, I use my axe to check the life in | | | | 'What, oh no, never' he declares. 'My tools |
| them and I listen to the sound, the song of | | | | are very simple, here is the axe to cut the |
| stone, I call it. When the stone sings to me, | | | | shape roughly and then I decide how to go |
| I take it. I like the stone to give me some | | | | from here. When I do a wild animal, I |
| resistance, when the sound is dull, nothing | | | | continue with the axe but when I do ladies, I |
| will come out of it.' Firestone and | | | | use finer tools. Often I make the tools |
| sandstone, these are the types of stone he | | | | myself to use them for a certain pattern. The |
| selects for his 'pictures'. He tells me that | | | | direction of the cut is very important, also |
| firestone has a finer grain while sandstone | | | | the impact. It all makes the stone alive. I |
| is somewhat coarser and both are fine | | | | make scratches, punctures, waves by just |
| material to cut and to work with. 'come with | | | | using the proper tool, and for the final |
| me,' he beckoned, ' I will show you. This | | | | touch I use a brush to polish it or I use |
| lady, I am working on now, is made of | | | | sandpaper.''And then', he giggles, ' you can |
| firestone. You see, how finely you can work | | | | rub some earth onto the surface to make it |
| the surface? And here, this lion fighting, is | | | | look very old, and also, if you have time, |
| made of sandstone too.' Yes, I can feel the | | | | you can bury the piece for a couple of months |
| difference.I follow him and touch the surface | | | | and the Department of Antiquity will never |
| of his sculptures that seen so human, so | | | | believe that you have made it yourself'. I |
| simple in expression and motion. You can see | | | | ask Ali if he also teaches sculpture. |
| the way his mind works, he is in no way | | | | 'Sometimes.' And then I ask him timidly |
| complicated things. His love for animals | | | | whether he would take me on as a student. ' |
| becomes evident and I ask him how he has | | | | You tell me, when you are ready and I will |
| studied their anatomy. ' I have studied them | | | | teach you the song of the stone. |
| in my big book and in films and once I have | | | | |