Q: What inspired the Diamonds collection? The gems started in early 2011, when I was doing an artist’s residency in Amsterdam. They grew from patterns I started drawing each day, until they began to resemble diamonds. Being far away from home, and a bit homesick, I looked back and started exploring more of my own country’s natural resources. The idea of taking a faceted object and
then reproducing it onto a shaped canvas took about two years, and in the early days of these artworks, no one really showed any interest. But I enjoyed the pieces and so I kept making them.

Kurt Pio
Kurt Pio

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Q: And then it took off… At first I received attention from the diamond and jewellery industry locally and internationally, even getting invited to show my work in Antwerp, Belgium — the diamond cutting capital of the world — in September 2015. Then there was interest from art collectors and fans. Without
mentioning my clients’ names, I can tell you that my works have found homes in collections in America, Europe, Australia, Africa, China, Malaysia, and the Middle East, as well as being owned by a royal family from a certain country.

Q: In the beginning you painted only diamonds, yet your latest pieces are of emeralds. Are you going to do all the precious gems? At first I focused only
on clear cut diamonds and then, after a while,  I started exploring the “fancy” stones, such as the canary yellows, champagnes, blues, and greens. I will stay with the emeralds right now, as I am totally stuck on this beautiful emerald green colour and love it. I want to surround myself with it, paint whole rooms in my home with it, and wear it.

Q: The magic is clearly catching. Can you explain the appeal of this unique art? I think the pieces are different, and also a mixture of painting and a bit of sculpture. I think people like the idea of taking a tiny precious object and blowing it up to such a size that it almost becomes abstract. I also have to mention that I have had several suitors from a non-traditional background who have proposed to their partners with one of my paintings instead of with a real diamond. With it being a leap year this year, and women being able to ask their partners to marry them, and it being rare for men to wear diamond rings, the idea of a diamond gift or painting was, therefore, more appealing in this situation.

Q: What effect does the sparkle of a beautiful gemstone have on you? It creates a childlike excitement within me, like seeing a bit of magic, or the first time you see a rainbow reflecting from a crystal.

Q: Where can we see any of these pieces? My next exhibition, showcasing my Gems and Champagne Bottles collection, will be in New Orleans, US, at Gallery Orange, from November 12 2016. I also do commissions on these pieces from
my studio in Cape Town. Look out for me on Instagram, @kurtpio, for all my latest work and news on my upcoming shows.


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