The Art of Detail: Ed Chapman’s Marilyn Monroe Mosaic Now at Natasha Pearl Gallery

20 Sept

Ed Chapman’s Marilyn Monroe Mosaic Arrives in Kent

This masterpiece isn’t painted. It’s made entirely from thousands of British one-penny coins.

Now on view at Natasha Pearl Gallery in Kent, Ed Chapman’s breathtaking portrait of Marilyn Monroe blends iconic beauty with obsessive detail and British craftsmanship. Handcrafted from hundreds of precisely placed copper coins, this mosaic captures Monroe’s haunting expression with remarkable depth, light and shadow. It’s a piece that makes you look twice, and then lean in closer.

The Artist Behind the Mosaic: Who is Ed Chapman?

Ed Chapman is one of Britain’s most respected mosaic artists. For over 25 years, he has created portraits using unexpected materials including vinyl records, ceramic tiles, guitar plectrums, bullet casings, and now, coins. His works have been collected by household names such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Annie Lennox, and even footballers from the England national team.

Chapman’s art has appeared in international magazines, charity auctions, and global exhibitions. His Richard Burton mosaic, created with 500-million-year-old Welsh slate, is permanently installed at Swansea University. His work is now even taught in UK schools, alongside Picasso and Sir Peter Blake.

Why Coins? The Art of Unlikely Materials

Chapman is known for pushing the boundaries of traditional portraiture. In the case of the Marilyn Monroe mosaic, each coin acts like a pixel in a photographic image. The surface isn’t flat—it glows with subtle metallic shifts, reflecting light as you move around the piece.

It’s not just beautiful. It’s obsessively meticulous. Each mosaic fragment is hand-selected, cut, and placed with the precision of a watchmaker. Some pieces measure just a few millimetres wide.

Monroe Reimagined: A Goddess in Copper

The subject of this piece is instantly recognisable: Marilyn Monroe. But this isn’t the bombshell of the red carpet—this is Monroe as an icon, almost spiritual, her eyes closed, her face serene.

Rendered in varying tones of bronze, the mosaic evokes both nostalgia and reverence. The use of coins anchors her image in physical reality, but the precision of the work elevates her once more to the status of goddess.

A Collector’s Dream: Who Owns Ed Chapman’s Work?

Chapman’s collectors include royalty, celebrities, and institutions. His coin portrait of David Beckham, co-signed by the footballer himself, sold for over £8,000 at a UNICEF auction in Mayfair. Another mosaic of John Lennon raised £85,000 for Cancer Research at a gala auction hosted by Niall Horan and golfer Justin Rose.

Each of his artworks is a one-off, and many never make it to public view.

That’s why this Marilyn Monroe mosaic showing at Natasha Pearl Gallery is such a rare opportunity.

Now on View at Natasha Pearl Gallery

The Marilyn Monroe mosaic is available to view now at Natasha Pearl Gallery in Kent. Whether you’re an art collector, interior designer, or simply curious to see how thousands of copper coins become a luminous portrait, this is a work worth experiencing in person.