Etsuro Sotoo cuts a distinguished figure on the Barcelona culture scene. As the Sagrada Familia's only official sculptor, he exudes old-world style in his felt fedora, flowing scarf and manicured goatee.
Yet his life's work of turning Antoni Gaudi's art nouveau cathedral visions into stone has more humble origins — in a plate of sardines and a pile of rocks.
It has been a nearly 40-year adventure that began after the end of the Franco dictatorship and whose final act is not in sight. Along the way, the 64-year-old sculptor from Fukuoka has carved some of the most celebrated artworks of the cathedral, including the sculptures of the Nativity Facade, granted UNESCO World Heritage status.