A special portrait of the film icon Marilyn Monroe, created using 150,000 crystals, will be unveiled to mark the 100th anniversary of her birth, according to BBC. Artist San B, from Brentwood in Essex, took more than 1,000 hours to build the collector's piece, placing each crystal and individual two-carat diamonds by hand. “I've strived to create a culturally significant, spiritual piece of living art for this milestone anniversary, with the intricate crystal mosaic drawing in the beholder to reflect on the enduring fascination with Monroe's image,” the artist said. Marilyn Monroe: Immortal will be displayed from Wednesday at the Iconic Images Gallery at Waterloo Place in Piccadilly, London. The 38-year-old artist said: “Marilyn Monroe is not just an icon, she is one of the most recognizable and emotionally loaded figures in culture; the perfect subject for both the ambition of a flagship piece and the care behind it.” To date, San B's artwork has raised more than £500,000 for various charities.
