Short Bio
Gila Rayberg arrived to the visual arts after a successful career as a freelance musician and educator. Allowing her strong sense of intuition and love of experimentation to guide her, Gila has developed a unique voice in the realm of mosaic portraiture. Gila exhibits regularly throughout the United States and has won numerous awards for her uniquely expressive portraits. In the summer of 2018, Gila was one of nine artists, from seven countries, invited to participate in the 3rd Contemporary Mosaic Art Symposium in Ploaghe Sardinia, & to the premier Patagonia symposium in the fall of 2022, both under the direction of Italian Maestro, Giulio Menossi. Gila travels extensively throughout the US, and internationally, giving workshops and sharing her passion for mosaic portraiture. Her artwork has been published in numerous art books and is collected worldwide.
Statement
Over the past decade I’ve been increasingly captivated by portraiture. My work is predominantly materials & expression driven, combining a wide variety of dishes and other would-be discarded ‘memory-ware’, along side more traditional mosaic materials. The curves, rims, handles and other characteristically round shaped crockery shards, often become defining elements within my portraits. A teacup handle may become an ear or a strand of hair; the lip of a cup, an eyelid. I love those ‘aha’ moments when the perfect shard reveals itself to me. I ponder the memory of where an object originated, who gave it to me, and other significance it may hold. Endless combinations of disparate elements come together to tell new stories & keep my mind active, while the cutting and placing of each piece keeps me physically grounded. There’s nothing I’d rather be doing, all else falls to the wayside.
