Fibonacci’s Gate
Gabriel Embler
2019
Stacked granite and metal
Donated by Gabriel Embler
Where is it located in the garden?
Montane Biome
More about
Gabriel Embler
• Self-taught sculptor and mason originally from Chelan, Washington.
• He spent his early years immersed in nature, honing his observational skills and developing a deep connection to the outdoors.
• Embler's journey into art was unconventional; after a brief period in college, he withdrew and used his savings to travel across Europe. During his travels, he worked various jobs, including teaching snowboarding and managing a bar in Germany. Upon returning to the United States, he moved to Ketchum, Idaho, where he worked in masonry and tile setting.
• In 2004, facing financial constraints, Embler crafted stone jewelry boxes and bookends from granite scraps, which ignited his passion for stone sculpture. (Sun Valley Magazine)
ARTISTIC APPROACH
• Embler's work emphasizes the natural structure and flow of stone, aiming to showcase the inherent beauty and fluidity within each piece.
• His sculptures often explore themes of balance, harmony, and the relationship between natural elements and human intervention.
• He employs various materials, including granite, jasper, shale, and lava, to create both functional and abstract pieces.
ABOUT FIBONACCI’S GATE
• A granite and metal sculpture installed at the Sawtooth Botanical Garden in Ketchum, Idaho.
• The piece was unveiled during the garden's 30th-anniversary celebrations in 2025.
• Crafted from granite and metal, the piece draws inspiration from Embler’s interest in stacking rocks and the natural structures of stone.
• From The Art of Balance by Laurel Holland, Sun Valley Magazine, May 2015 An accomplished photographer, student of the Japanese Samurai tradition, polyglot, ordained minister, and (yes) certified midwife, Embler is as metamorphic as his medium. With granite, jasper, shale, and lava he has played with form and function—from his practical and usable vessels to the private pieces and public installations he has been commissioned to create. And though Embler has garnered attention in recent years for his stone balances, balancing is a study he began exploring as an instrument of meditation and comprises a mere fraction of his work. “Balancing is just a device. It’s about the bigger picture. How do the random, disparate parts of your life balance themselves? Even for a little while? No one’s balanced forever.”