Alan Hasselfeldt

Alan Hasselfeldt Biography

From a young child, growing up in what is now North York, Ontario, Alan was always fascinated by stone be it beautiful crystals in a quarry or mine or simple rock cuts on the shoulder of a highway. From virtually his earliest recollections of family outings, he and his parents would venture out on weekends & holiday intervals to various locations across Canada & the United States to collect minerals. A “rock hound” he was from a tender age.

Alan was fortunate in his life in that he grew up in an artistic environment. Both his parents were very creative and as a result the family home was often frequented by talented individuals.

While essentially self-taught, courses at Toronto area institutions augmented his talent, as did workshops conducted by well-known sculptors. Alan has studied other art media including the faceting of gemstones and pottery, however his passion has always been stone sculpture. Since retiring several years ago, his artistic focus has been exclusively stone.

Alan feels that his work is an exploration of his lifetime experiences. His partner in stone sculptures is Mother Nature who supplies the magnificent array of minerals.

In his opinion, stone sculpture captures the intrinsic beauty of nature. The finished product invites touch. Many of his recent creatures incorporated natural material contrasted with polished portions. This gives the impression of the sculpture being of separate materials when in face each work is comprised of a single piece of stone. This technique allows appreciation of untouched natural beauty as well as the artist’s sculpting talent.