Garden of Eden

Artist Bio: Khaim Pinkhasik is a world-renowned glass-mosaic artist that produces museum-quality masterpieces. As a young boy of 5, in his hometown of Minsk, Russia, Pinkhasik began his interest in mosaic art when a post WWII German soldier traded a small mosaic made from broken glass for a loaf of bread. He loved it so much, he soon began making his own small mosaics. As he grew older, Pinkhasik began to work for the leaders of the former Soviet Union, creating 29 mosaic walls for government buildings and museums featuring Lenin & Stalin. His mosaics were well received by the Soviet Union and their beauty and life-like detail lead to a teaching post at the prestigious Art Institute of Minsk. In 1980, forty years after his birth, Khaim brought his talented hands and creative vision to the United States. He settled in the Chicago area in 1982.
Known to his many collectors as the"Glassmaster", Pinkhasik begins each museum quality glass masterpiece with a detailed hand drawing. Next, he hand selects, cuts, shapes and sands each piece of glass to be contained in his mosaic. Then he attaches each cut of glass to a clear sheet of glass with a permanent adhesive. He uses no lead, therefore there are no seams. This process, developed by Pinkhasik, creates a translucent masterpiece so bright and vibrant, it takes on a life of it's own !! Imagine the hours and hours of time the"Glassmaster"has spent creating these masterpieces. And no two pieces are exactly alike, making this a unique one-of-a-kind creation, containing hundreds or thousands of cuts of glass. Artwork of this quality spans generations.
Pinkhasik draws inspiration from masters such as Renoir, Erte, and Monet, as well as Russian folk tales passed down from his grandmother. His portraits are truly stunning! He was honored when commissioned to create a glass mosaic portrait of former President George Bush and first lady Barbara; as well as former Illinois Secretary of State and former Governor George Ryan. He has been commissioned to created custom made portraits of Frank Sinatra, The Three Stooges, Dennis Rodman, Kenny Rogers, and the Blues Brothers. Several Pinkhasik masterpieces are part of the permanent collection and display at the"Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows"at Chicago's Navy Pier.