Belarusian sculptor unveils artwork honouring US physicist Jim Gates

Belarusian sculptor Pavel Wilimaytis has crafted a portrait of theoretical physicist Jim Gates, who is affiliated with the University of Maryland and Brown University. Gates is renowned for his work on supersymmetry, superstring theory, and the intersection of quantum physics and information theory. He is also recognized for his public outreach efforts, including hosting the PBS series "The Elegant Universe."

Wilimaytis, who has resided in Saint-Jorioz, France for the past three years, suffers from a hearing impairment. He selects his subjects based on the "human presence in their faces." According to Wilimaytis' mother, Natallia, Pavel perceived the world outside of language during his first eight years of life, but already had an intuitive understanding of people's warmth, coldness, light, shadow, pain, tension, kindness, or inner closedness.

Wilimaytis noticed photographs of Gates online and was captivated by the physicist's "warmth, openness and distinctive charisma." He described the scientist as possessing the "quiet generosity of a teacher known for his exceptional ability to open the world of knowledge to others." The sculpture, measuring approximately 30 cm in height, was initially formed in plasticine before being cast in Acrystal, a water-based mineral composite material.

The artwork is part of Wilimaytis' sculptural series titled "The lesser-known faces of famous people," which also features portraits of Nikola Tesla, Marie Curie, and Erwin Schrödinger. Gates expressed his delight upon learning about the sculpture in an email to Natallia.