Stones and pebbles have been used as grave markers throughout history, by many different cultures and traditions. They are often placed on top of gravestones at Jewish cemetaries as a small act of remembrance. The urge to anthropomorphise (or carve faces) into stones dates to neolithic figurines carved around 6000 BCE. There are many references to stones and rocks in the Tanakh (or Hebrew Bible), ranging from embodiments of the divine to a place of refuge and sacrifice. The stones in Portrait Pebbles can be all or none of these things. Yet they do stand as a testament to time spent in reflection, while honoring the memory of the deceased.

© 2023 Alexandra Karl