ILYA SCHAR | PRESS

The Loupe, GIA World News
Vol. 12, No. 4, Fall 2003

Ilya Schar Exhibit Displays Creative Use of Colorful Gem Materials
By Tara J. McKenna

It's easy to take one look at Ilya Schar's art and quickly make the assumption they're beautiful, one-of-a-kind paintings. But on closer inspection, you realize your eyes can deceive you.

    That's because not a single stroke of paint was used in " The Magical World of Ilya Schar", a collection of creations that resemble paintings but are composed entirely of gem materials. The exhibit, which depicts various plants and animals, is on display at GIA's World Headquarters in Carlsbad, California, and accompanies the Museum's newest exhibit, "All Natural, Organically Grown Gemstones."

     "Both displays really compliment each other," said Museum Director Elise Misiorowski. "The organics exhibit features gemstones from plants and animals, while Ilya Schar's artwork is all about plants and animals depicted in gemstones."

     Schar, a life-long collector of gems, began using gems as an art medium in the 1980s and to create the artwork full-time after retiring from a career as an oral surgeon in Hamburg, Germany. He relocated to the United States in 1999.

     He makes his pieces by crushing gemstones and using them as pigment or by applying individual cut gemstones to the canvas.     "I've always wanted to show the world that gemstones are not just for jewelry," Schar said. "Their wonderful colors can be used for many other purposes, which I've tried to demonstrate through my art."

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