skulls – TwistedSifter

In this amazing series by Gregory Raymond Halili, skulls are hand carved and painted with oil on raw, gold-lip and black-lip Philippine mother-of-pearl shells.

Mother of pearl also known as nacre, is an organic-inorganic composite material produced by some molluscs as an inner shell layer; it is also what makes up the outer coating of pearls. It is strong, resilient, and iridescent.

Halili was born and raised in the Philippines in 1975. He received his BFA from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and currently resides in New Jersey. He is represented by the Nancy Hoffman Gallery in New York City. You can see the complete series on Gregory’s Facebook page.

[via Bored Panda]

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Artwork by GREGORY RAYMOND HALILI
Facebook | Nancy Hoffman Gallery

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Artwork by GREGORY RAYMOND HALILI
Facebook | Nancy Hoffman Gallery

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Artwork by GREGORY RAYMOND HALILI
Facebook | Nancy Hoffman Gallery

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Artwork by GREGORY RAYMOND HALILI
Facebook | Nancy Hoffman Gallery

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Artwork by GREGORY RAYMOND HALILI
Facebook | Nancy Hoffman Gallery

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Artwork by GREGORY RAYMOND HALILI
Facebook | Nancy Hoffman Gallery

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Artwork by GREGORY RAYMOND HALILI
Facebook | Nancy Hoffman Gallery

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Artwork by GREGORY RAYMOND HALILI
Facebook | Nancy Hoffman Gallery

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In his series entitled Vanitas, London-based artist James Hopkins rearranges items on shelves into a skull-like mosaic made of books, trinkets and other household objects. The variety in the objects used and the different way in which each version arrives at the same general skull shape is fascinating.

Hopkins received his MA in Fine Art from Goldsmiths College at the University of London as well as his BA in Fine Arts Sculpture at the University of Brighton. Be sure to check out jameshopkinsworks.com for more of James’ wonderfully diverse artwork.