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Who could have thought that moldy, rotten fruit could be beautiful? As it turns out, anything is possible at the hands of talented artist, Kathleen Ryan. Ryan has perfected the art of turning fruit sculptures into mesmerizing, moldy-looking pieces of art. To make the fruit, she uses a polystyrene base measuring up to 28 inches in width. The artist then proceeds to paint the patterns of the mold and tops it off by individually placing dozens of precious and semi-precious gemstones to create the decay. The ultimate result of her work is mesmerizing – for a split second, the gems create an illusion of real mold, but then you realize you’ve been tricked by excellent craftsmanship. Ryan uses a variety of gemstones such as opal, smoky quartz, malachite and many others.

The New York-based artist studied Studio Art and Anthropology at Pitzer College and received a Master’s of Fine Arts from U.C.L.A. Ryan is represented by Josh Lilley’s gallery where her solo show was held last year. This year, her work was showcased at MIT’s List Visual Arts Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts and The New Art Gallery in Walsall, U.K. Also, her works appeared as part of Desert X in Coachella, CA.

More info: Instagram | joshlilleygallery.com