It was shortly after Isamu Noguchi arrived in Paris in 1927 that he discovered the medium that would come to define his career, thanks to the artist Constantin Brancusi, who hired Noguchi as his assistant although he could barely speak French while Brancusi couldn’t speak English. During their seven months together, Brancusi taught Noguchi about working with stone: how to transform a block of marble into a piece of sculpture. Noguchi would carry the lessons with him, especially to Shikoku, Japan, where he created works of art from the local basalt, making notable sculptures like the 1986 Water Stone and the Japanese garden at UNESCO in Paris.

During their seven months together, Brancusi taught Noguchi about working with stone: how to transform a block of marble into a piece of sculpture.