Paintings are some of the last handmade and therefore valuable objects in our culture. This is even more true when the paint is replaced with gemstones.
A Gem of a Painting
By Simone Cappa
“Butterflies”, 24″x24″
Paintings are some of the last handmade and therefore valuable objects in our culture. This is even more true when the paint is replaced with gemstones. Ilya Schar captures the essence of nature with remarkable precision, which is brought to us as a jubilation of gem interplay using gems and minerals like lapis lazuli, tanzanite, peridot and sapphire. His three dimensional pieces are an assembly of precious and semi-precious stones, which are cut, ground, polished by hand and applied to the canvas as pigment. Each piece comes with a patented certificate of authenticity, as well as an appraisal of all precious stones from a gemologist.
Born in Moscow, capital of the former Soviet Union, Schar began his fascination with precious gems and minerals in early childhood and throughout his adolescence. It was in his youth that he began to study Benvenuto Cellini, a celebrated Renaissance sculptor and goldsmith, and realized the grand potential gems in art. What began as a hobby turned into a passion as well as an artistic quest. His vision to create life and color through gems was attained through magnificent representations of his own experiences and travels throughout the world.
Schar currently resides in Southern California and is scheduled for a debut New York solo exhibition at the Broadway Gallery this Fall. For more information please visit http://www.ilyaschar.com/.
