Reena Ahluwalia's Diamond Paintings Adorn DIVA Diamond Museum in Antwerp

Paintings by award-winning artist Reena Ahluwalia celebrate diamonds and diamond stories. 

For the past 500 years, Antwerp and diamonds are inextricably linked. The City and Province of Antwerp is all set to open, 'DIVA. Antwerp Home of Diamonds' museum in 2018. To mark the Antwerp 'Diamond Year', DIVA's Museum Shop opened its doors on December 7th, 2017. World-renowned artist Reena Ahluwalia's hyper-realistic diamond paintings were selected to be housed in the museum and now available for sale at its Museum shop.  

“We have known Reena for a long time and always have been great admirers of her jewelry designs and paintings. We were thrilled when we could work with her for her paintings in the Museum shop. Her paintings are truly unique, beautiful from a distance and captivating from close by. We are really honored to have them hanging in our shop.” Stefan Leemans, owner of the DIVA Museum shop said.

Artist Reena Ahluwalia with her diamond paintings 'Diamond Constellation' for the DIVA Diamond Museum, Antwerp.

Brilliant like diamonds, Reena's painting series is titled The Diamond Constellation and pays tribute to the “star-like quality and unlimited potential in each one of us”. The paintings feature highly nuanced, hyper-realistic diamonds with ultra-magnified facets and have taken over 200 hours each to complete. The provenance of Reena's diamond paintings is linked to her lifelong work as a diamond artist. Her paintings are known for their imagination and storytelling. Reena's ties to Antwerp go a long way back as an award-wining diamond jewelry designer, diamond painter and educator. Her work is featured on a special edition Belgian Postal Stamp, 'Antverpia 2010' that celebrates Antwerp as a world class diamond center. With only a handful of postage stamps in the world featuring diamonds, and even rarer featuring a diamond jewelry piece; this postage stamp is a rare honor for a diamond jewelry piece and a jewelry artist’s work. Besides working with some of the most prestigious diamond companies of Antwerp, Reena is also the past winner of the HRD Awards and speaker at various Antwerp events. Reena is an ambassador of 'Diamonds & Antwerp' (DnA).

"We want to bring the story of jewels and diamonds back to the Antwerp historic city center, where it all started 500 years ago," says Mr. Luk Lemmens, Provincial Deputy Minister for Culture, Antwerp. Diva museum will celebrate the illustrious diamond history of Antwerp, its pivotal role in shaping the world of diamond trade, craftsmanship and stories that make diamonds unmatchable. The museum will officially open in May 2018. 

The Art And The Artist | Reena Ahluwalia Featured by Adorn Magazine

Reena Ahluwalia was recently featured in ADORN Magazine - India's First Luxury Jewellery Magazine (Nov. - Dec. 2016). In an exclusive interview, editor Shanoo Bijlani finds out more about artist Reena Ahluwalia, her art and what drives her to create her diamond paintings. 

Heart of Gold - A Yellow Heart-Shaped Diamond Painting By Reena Ahluwalia

It’s that heart of gold, and stardust soul that make you beautiful!

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart. Isn't a heart of gold the best treasure of all? Capturing the warm glow of sun rays, 'Heart of Gold' is my yellow heart-shaped diamond painting, one of three heart-shaped diamond painting from the Diamond Portrait Series. I went ahead and added real natural diamond dust with paint in the painting, the diamond dust sparkles when it catches light.

The most romantic of all diamonds, heart-shaped diamonds are often referred to as an extremely popular fancy cut and the ultimate representation of love. I love working with heart-shaped diamonds for my jewelry creations. So much so that I wrote about most Famous Heart-Shaped Diamonds in history. 

Here are a few images of the painting and process...

'Heart of Gold' - Portrait of a Yellow Heart-Shaped Diamond
36 x 36 inches. Natural Diamond Dust and Acrylic on Canvas. ©Reena Ahluwalia

Close-up detail of the 'Heart of Gold' - Portrait of a Yellow Heart-Shaped Diamond. 36 x 36 inches. Natural Diamond Dust and Acrylic on Canvas. ©Reena Ahluwalia

When you shine, the world shines with you! In progress, 'Heart of Gold' - Portrait of a Yellow Heart-Shaped Diamond. 36 x 36 inches. Natural Diamond Dust and Acrylic on Canvas. ©Reena Ahluwalia

Be the light in someone's life! In progress, 'Heart of Gold' - Portrait of a Yellow Heart-Shaped Diamond. 36 x 36 inches. Natural Diamond Dust and Acrylic on Canvas. ©Reena Ahluwalia

It’s that heart of gold, and stardust soul that make you beautiful! Making of the 'Heart of Gold' - Portrait of a Yellow Heart-Shaped Diamond. 36 x 36 inches. Natural Diamond Dust and Acrylic on Canvas. ©Reena Ahluwalia

Unlocking the heart of gold, one brush stroke at a time! Making of the 'Heart of Gold' - Portrait of a Yellow Heart-Shaped Diamond. 36 x 36 inches. Natural Diamond Dust and Acrylic on Canvas. ©Reena Ahluwalia

Let's follow our heart, it leads to our dreams! 'Heart of Gold' - Portrait of a Yellow Heart-Shaped Diamond. 36 x 36 inches. Natural Diamond Dust and Acrylic on Canvas. ©Reena Ahluwalia

Setting heart on fire, one facet at a time! Progress of 'Heart of Gold' - Portrait of a Yellow Heart-Shaped Diamond. 36 x 36 inches. Natural Diamond Dust and Acrylic on Canvas. ©Reena Ahluwalia

Real diamond dust, a signature of Reena Ahluwalia paintings. ©Reena Ahluwalia

Reena Ahluwalia with her trio of diamond paintings. To see the other paintings of this series, please check out the 'Diamond Portrait Series' by Reena.

The Art Of Spontaneity

Freshness, immediacy of moment and an impulse - I love spontaneity.

As a designer, what I have uncovered about spontaneous discoveries is very special. These unscripted moments have a tendency to come back to me, sometimes years later and manifest themselves into ideas. They some how connect and expand and become tangible. I don't over think these moments, I just let them fill me.

One day strolling on the streets of Santiago, Chile, this is what I unexpectedly found. No, I didn't come back and make a piece of jewelry that exactly resembles this seed bulb, nor did I name a jewelry collection after the city. Not as yet. What instead I did was this - nothing! I will let this spontaneous moment float somewhere in my mind and hope when the time is right it will come back.

Well, at least that's how spontaneous things work for me.

Thousand Words Imagery

“It's somewhat imagery related.” -- Dan Cronin

I believe each interaction leaves an imprint. What we make of it, is left up to us.

It leads me to think about the countless images we come across each day. All deposited in our mind-bank. Mind that make associations, converts them into referential material, add layers of meaning that we tease out from time to time.

All that is left is observation. Imagination, my friends, will follow ! 

I came across John Grant's work in 2010, and still find it intriguing. A multitude of images, emotions and symbolism, all contained in a small glass of water. Enjoy!

Video: John Grant - The Language of Water (2010) - Ink in water.

To ​see a world in a grain of sand,

And heaven in a wild flower,

Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,

And eternity in an hour.​

​-- William Blake, Auguries of Innocence

Infinite like Universe

Floating all around us, infinite like universe... is every idea and expression that ever was, ever will be.

Black ceramic 'Shining Stars' floating-diamonds ring in 18k yellow gold. Royal Asscher & Reena Ahluwalia.

On Balance

"Design is the search for a magical balance between intuition and reason; concept and detail; playfulness and formality." — Valerie Pettis

Need for balance is one of the most important influences on human perception.

​We look for it, we strive for it.

And yet, it takes work.

Harold Lloyd, a silent film comedian, performs a headstand on the edge of a skyscraper. 1930s.

Joe Steinmetz balancing five eggs on the edge of a knife. 1939. Image: Via Florida Memory

It's pure magic, when we arrive at it!

Royal Asscher Limited Edition 'Diamond Jubilee Stars' Collection designed by Reena Ahluwalia. Collection especially made in honor of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee. The colors of the diamonds - pink, blue and white resemble the three colors of The Union Jack, the British National Flag.