
How to find diamond art in the desert
- September 14, 2021
A desert painting may have taken years to create, but it has become the latest symbol of the wealth and power of a family in one of the poorest countries in the world.
The painting, by artist, and entrepreneur, Efraim Halevy, was featured in the National Museum of American History’s exhibition titled “Diamonds, Manmade and Natural,” in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 15.
In a press release, the museum said the painting “provides an intimate look at a time when art was being created, and an understanding of the cultural and economic connections between America and the Middle East.”
The work was created by Halevy after his father died, the statement said.
Halevy said the family owned a diamond dealer who was one of his favorite clients, and he wanted to show off the diamond he worked with.
Halevy, an Israeli-born American, is an internationally renowned figure in the diamond art world.
His works have been sold for $10 million.
The artist’s father, Rabbi Isaac Halevy , died in 2012, and the family has owned the business since then.
One of Halevy’s works from the exhibition was a portrait of the famed American writer and novelist, Ernest Hemingway, that was hung in the family home in Israel, according to a press statement.
“Hemingway is my favorite American writer,” Halevy wrote on his Instagram account in September.
“He inspired me to start a business that would create art in Israel.
My father had a great love for history, but he also believed that we could build a better world with our art.”
According to the National Park Service, the Halevy family has a fortune of $5 billion and are among the wealthiest people in Israel and the United States.
The museum said it would continue to display the artwork in the museum, but Halevy is now the subject of an international legal battle, which he is waging with the American government.