The Weight of Stone To understand Lika Mutal is to understand the tension between two worlds. Her work does not rely on ornament; it relies on the physical reality of granite, marble, and diorite. Looking at her sculptures today, one sees a deliberate confrontation between the jagged, unrefined edges of raw earth and surfaces polished to a mirror finish. This was not an aesthetic choice made in a vacuum. It was a direct response to her existence as a Dutch-Peruvian artist moving between the modern architecture of New York City and the ancient, rugged landscapes of Lima. Her career began in…