In this workshop, you will be introduced to manual stone carving. The foundation of this craft begins with learning how to properly carve a flat surface. You will learn how to mark out, measure, and work with a hammer and chisel. Alongside the practical work, you will also receive information about different types of stone, stoneworking techniques, and the contemporary evolution of the profession. No prior experience is required. You will learn a skill, but you will not take home a finished piece.

Stone carving is a technique used to create flat surfaces, spheres, mouldings, and geometric shapes. Once technical execution is no longer the focus and the work becomes purely about form, volume, light, and shadow, we enter the realm of sculpture.

Sébastien Vermeulen is an independent sculptor, stone carver, portrait artist, bronze caster, and artist. He creates sculptures in marble, bronze, and terracotta. He teaches Sculptural Design at Vrije Academie Gent and carries out restoration work on architectural heritage and artistic patrimony. In 2024, he was awarded a grant from Fonds SofinaBoël for Training and Talent. As a result, in 2025 he spent six weeks studying the human figure at Studio Della Statua in Florence and learned the mise-au-point technique at L’ Atelier De Sculpture (Soignies). His sculpture Gabrielle (2025, marble) was selected for the FACE 2026 exhibition, organised by the Society of Portrait Sculptors in London.