Angie Crabtree

My paintings are a rigorous study of light and optics, approaching the subject matter as portraiture of modern day relics for a world that loves beautiful trophies. I painted my first diamond — at 5 feet tall — in 2011 for my exhibition, “Living the Dream” as a commentary on the American Dream. Inspired by my viewers’ responses, I continued to dig deeper into our perception of excess, wealth and luxury. Using oil paint, I create magnified portraits of real gemstones. My most well-known commissions include “The Pink Promise” diamond and Chopard’s massive 342 carat “Queen of Kalahari” diamond. Growing up in Northern California, I found crystals and minerals on walks with my gold mining grandfather, quickly learning about what society agrees are some of the world’s most valuable objects. Today, I continue to push the boundaries of what it means to desire and value earth’s treasures — using precious gemstones as a means to unpack the psychology and allure of luxury culture.