The Stone’s Whisper

With a video by Jermica Jackson

HARLEM, N.Y.

The Colin Chase Gallery buzzed with anticipation as students, professors, and community members gathered for The Stone’s Whisper, artist Lyn Ton’s  MFA exhibition at The City College of New York (CCNY). The artist dressed to the nines for the event, and stood by the door in a blazing white suit to welcome visitors. Soft ambient music drifted throughout the gallery and Ton beamed with pride over her work. “I feel satisfied with what I’ve done.” she said.

Ton uses stones as a metaphor. For her, stones represent resilience, strength, and stillness. The theme of stillness is presented through layered colors, and stone-like forms that seem to project a deliberate stillness, and ambient sound. Ton has been curious about stones since childhood. “I used to pick up small stones near the river and rub them together to see if they could create sparks,” she recalled. “And they actually did! Tiny sparks would flash out. That childhood curiosity about stones stayed with me.” Ton explained that the idea for The Stone’s Whisper didn’t come immediately, it returned to her again and again.“Over time I realized this was the language I wanted to work with.”

 Ton invited viewers to look past what the eye first registers and find the subtler stories embedded in her work. She beamed while guests moved slowly from piece to piece. Some viewers stopped to talk and share thoughts about the work, others paused alone before the layered paintings. Ton hoped viewers would lean into the stillness her work invites. “I hope people sense that quiet things also carry stories,” she said, “Strength doesn’t always show loudly. Silence can hold deep meaning. I want people to slow down and really feel the stillness in the work.”

Two art students, their paint-smudged smocks and pinned-back hair hinted at long studio hours of their own did pause. Allissa Elliot seemed captivated by Ton’s intricate layering. “When the painting is built this way you can see under multiple layers of paint,” she said. “The more you look, the more you see.” Ton combined acrylic paint and drawing elements and explained, “The speed of acrylic lets my emotions guide the work without interruption. Drawing brings the rawness and immediacy I need.”

Nyla Simms, the other art student, found herself drawn to Ton’s color choices. “I love the repeating themes of red,” she said. “All of the paintings seem connected through her use of color.”

Pilar Newton, Program Director and Assistant Animation Director at CCNY, approached the exhibition with animated enthusiasm. “The storytelling is amazing! And look at the way she treats the medium!” she said. Newton looked at each painting up close and far away in order to get more information. “From over there I thought this was oil. The layering is great!” Newton also noted Ton’s intentional use of color. “The grey tones with the spots of colors, it really leads the eye.”

For Ton, this project is rooted in personal history. “It reflects my father’s influence, and the way I grew up painting beside him,” she said. Aspects of this project brought unexpected challenges. “The biggest challenge was emotional. Some works required me to stay with feelings I usually avoid. The process helped me face emotions I didn’t have words for. It felt like discovering myself again through each layer of paint.”

In the end, The Stone’s Whisper demonstrates the power of quiet art. “Stones represent endurance, silence and the weight of memories,” Ton said. “They don’t speak, yet they hold everything.”

You can also watch the video where Jermica Jackson interviews the artist and gallery goers.