MANILA, Philippines -- With his decadent use of color and singular portraits of women, harlequins and musicians in an infectious state of gaiety, expressionist Mario Parial has been known to take his audience to a whimsical journey into his realm of paradise, festivities and folk imagery.
A painter, printmaker, sculptor and teacher, the University of Santo Tomas fine arts graduate has explored folk and mythological themes for over four decades. Greatly influenced by artists like Picasso, Matisse, Chagal, Modigliani and Frida Kahlo, Parial shared that he gravitates to impressionism and naïf art because these styles give him the freedom to interpret rather than portray reality.
In 1972, he received the prestigious Thirteen Artists Award of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. He has exhibited extensively in the Philippines and other countries like Hong Kong, China, Germany, Canada, the United States, Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore.
Last year, during Parial's July 2010 Legacy Series exhibit, art historian Ruben Canetes kindly addressed the artist saying that, "like wine, Parial is certainly better through the years, if exhibits can be considered like movies, Legacy Series: Mario Parial is a blockbuster."
For his latest exhibit, 'Majore: Mario Parial' that opened last Oct. 12 and will run until Oct. 26 at Galerie Joaquin, featuring 15 of his major works during the past years, Parial will charm collectors and art lovers once again, this time showcasing a mix of old sensibilities and new approaches.
In Majore, viewers will be treated to a glimpse of what happens when the artist decides to go back to the signature style of his earlier works and weaves them into his current paintings with the seasoned hand of a master.
"This exhibit narrates my experiences for the past years in developing my composition and color rendition," Parial said. "It's a new way of looking at and into my art. With this exhibit people can expect to see a world beyond reality."
The jester-musician that fills his canvases with song; beautiful Filipino maidens; masks; revellers at a fiesta; bountiful harvests; tables laden with food; fish, the traditional symbol for bounty; flowers in full bloom; and angels that reflect a spiritual side not known to many, Parial revisited these much-loved elements of his art but imbued them with a new found energy, creativity and vision.
"The women, the jesters, the musicians, all of these characters appeal to me beyond the reality of presentation. I want the people to walk away from Majore seeing a different sense of reality because of my work. I want to be able to share that world with them," Parial said.
'Majore: Mario Parial' will be on view until October 26 in Galerie Joaquin located at P. Guevara St. corner Montessori Lane, San Juan. For more information, call 723 9418 or 723 9253 or visit www.galeriejoaquin.com.
