Motoi Yamamoto

Yamamoto uses salt to create monumental floor paintings, each so absurdly detailed, it makes A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte look like child's play. He calls them, fittingly, his Labyrinths.

The story behind Yamamoto's salt sculptures is sweet and sad. His sister died of brain cancer more than a decade ago. To honor her memory, he began sketching with salt -- in Japan, a traditional symbol for purification and mourning. The meandering patterns are meant to convey a sense of eternity.