World Art Utopia

Masonry Messiah

A pebble portrait of Jesus with long hair, a beard and a crown of thorns, his eyes raised, made from light and dark found stones on a gravel bed.
Artwork FileThailand

Masonry Messiah

Seen2021

Justin Bateman · 2021 · found stones

Found-stone portrait by Justin Bateman. Photo: Justin Bateman (@pebblepicassos), as published on Street Art Utopia (This Started as a Rock (10 Photos), 31 October 2026).

Justin Bateman lists this portrait as “Messiah”, 2021, in his portfolio of land art made with found stones; The Epoch Times published it as “Masonry Messiah”. A face with a crown of thorns is built entirely from light and dark pebbles. Source Source Checked

Seen 2021 — the artist dates the work to 2021. His pebble portraits are made to be temporary and left for nature to reclaim, so this one is not expected to survive; we found no dated report of when it was taken apart. Source Source Reported

💡 4 things to know

  1. Two titlesThe artist’s portfolio calls it “Messiah” (2021); The Epoch Times captions the same work “Masonry Messiah”, in the punning style of his other titles, “Stona Lisa” and “George Washingstone”. Source Source Checked
  2. Found stones onlyBateman’s portfolio describes his work as land art “using found stones”; he does not paint or cut them. Source Source Checked
  3. A spiritual subjectHome & Decor writes that his subjects range from iconic artworks to spiritual figures and philosophers, and that limited-edition prints of Messiah were planned by the dealer Rick Wolfryd. Source Reported
  4. Left for natureRock Products writes that the most satisfying part for Bateman is knowing nature will reclaim his materials; My Modern Met quotes him: “My work is impermanent, I leave only footprints.” Source Source Reported

📍 Where it is

Thailand: Bateman was based in Chiang Mai when the work was published, and the sources describe his pebble portraits as made in Thailand’s jungles, beaches and forests. The exact site of this portrait is not stated, so there is no map pin. Source Source Reported

🗓️ Sightings

  1. 202216 Jan

    Epoch Times: “Masonry Messiah”

  2. 20228 Feb

    Home & Decor: prints of Messiah

Green stamps mark dated photographs; amber stamps mark records or reports; red stamps mark loss. Publication dates are not camera dates.

🗞️ In the sources

Home & Decor Singapore8 February 2022

“Rick Wolfryd, a Mexican artist, collector, and art dealer, will soon release high-quality, limited-edition prints of Justin’s Messiah.”

Read the source →

✅ The facts

Artist
Justin Bateman Source Source Checked
Title
“Messiah” (artist’s portfolio); also published as “Masonry Messiah” Source Source Checked
Year
2021 Source Checked
Medium
Found stones Source Checked
Place
Thailand, where the sources place his pebble portraits; the exact site is not stated Source Source Reported
Status
Temporary; documented in photographs Source Source Reported

🔗 Related

All sources & image credits

Last checked: 1 November 2026. How we verify art