Adrian Gray is a pioneer in the art of stone balancing. His gravity-defying sculptures have featured on Channel 4’s Grand Designs, and he is a regular at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show where his work is regularly awarded five gold stars. His pieces can be found in gardens, on estates and in private homes and at exhibitions around the globe. You can watch filmed footage of his work on social media and on his website – but seeing isn’t always believing. So, we were grateful to have the opportunity to ask Adrian more about his extraordinary creations.
How did you come to stone balancing?
It started in 1999, almost by accident. Friends and I used to do it on the beach, and it just grew from there. I was quite unwell at the time, so it began as a therapeutic exercise as much as anything. That quiet, repetitive focus on finding balance turned out to be exactly what I needed.
It looks like magic. Are they permanent?
Each piece is balanced first and filmed, so that moment is captured as it truly exists. Then it's fixed in place for safety, which is the practical reality of putting something in a garden where people live. But the balance is always real.
Who are your typical clients?
I work with a whole range of clients from those looking to enhance their outdoor spaces at home to large estates, large private homes and public gardens.
You're a regular winner at RHS Chelsea, what does that mean to you?
It means everything, honestly. Chelsea is my main shop window. I don't do other shows, so those five days carry a lot of weight. Over eight years I've had four gold stars, and one year the full five. It’s worth knowing that trade stands are judged differently, so it's gold stars rather than a Gold Medal Winner title as people might picture it.
How do you prepare for the Show?
Preparation starts almost the moment the previous show ends. I'm already thinking about planting, new sculptures, what the big pieces for next year might be, where things are heading.
Your work brings ancient stone circles to mind. Do you find any spiritual significance in what you do?
I've been accused of being a white witch and a magician, which I take as a compliment. There's something in the work that people respond to beyond the visual. For me it comes down to a few things: the meditative process of finding balance, the tension between the fragility of a balanced stone and its sheer weight, and the stillness that comes once a piece is finished. A completed sculpture holds a lot of quiet tension. So yes, I think it is a kind of magic.
Where would be the ultimate location for your work?
A monumental piece in the foyer of a top-end hotel, inside, would be extraordinary. That scale, that permanence, that setting. That's the one.
For more information on Adrian’s work, or to commission a sculpture of your own visit stonebalancing.com.
Image: Adrian Gray Stone Balancing Art
