Artists skillfully manipulate stone to create captivating contrasts between solid and hollow forms, transforming rigid materials into dynamic sculptures. One key technique involves strategic removal of material to carve voids, which interact visually and physically with untouched solid sections. The interplay of positive and negative space establishes rhythm, with hollow areas often serving as visual pauses that accentuate the weight of solid portions.

Texture differentiation enhances this contrast - polished smooth surfaces on solid volumes make adjacent rough, chiseled hollows appear more recessed. Light becomes an active collaborator, with hollows casting shadows that emphasize depth while highlights bounce off solid planes. Some sculptors employ perforations that allow light to penetrate, creating patterns that animate both form and void.

Scale manipulation proves particularly effective - a massive solid base supporting delicate hollow latticework creates tension. The ancient Chinese "scholar's rocks" demonstrate this beautifully, where solidity suggests mountain ranges while voids mimic caves and valleys. Contemporary artists like Anish Kapoor take this further, using concave forms that create optical illusions of infinite depth.

Material thickness also contributes to the effect. Thin stone edges around hollows appear translucent when backlit, contrasting with opaque solid sections. This technique appears in traditional pierced screens and modern abstract works alike. The contrast ultimately serves conceptual purposes too - solidity may represent permanence while voids symbolize absence or the passage of time.

Master sculptors balance these elements through careful planning, often making small maquettes before committing to stone. The most successful works make viewers conscious of both presence and absence, stone and air, in a harmonious yet provocative dialogue.