This August at Exclusive Collections Gallery in San Diego’s Seaport Village, Henry Asencio presented a new collection of original oil paintings at his show, “Eclectic Beauty”.
In addition to a stunning array of new original paintings, Asencio also presented his newest available Fine Art Limited Edition painting, titled Classic Beauty.
“It’s in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.”
—excerpt from Maya Angelou, “Phenomenal Woman”
Asencio’s newest Fine Art Limited Edition, Classic Beauty, celebrates the fundamental artistic elements of line, composition and light. As Asencio exhibits a seamless transition from drawing to painting, she, too, cannot be neatly defined or precisely bound to a series of connected lines. Her personality and the essence of her being gracefully leap from the canvas.
Hands on the hips, her confidence and strength shine through. Her face need not be revealed to determine that her beauty on the outside reflects every ounce of beauty that materializes from within. Asencio’s brushstrokes create a raw, palpable energy while the sepia tones demand a breathtaking silence.
With so many stunning works of art, several paintings from the show have been selected for future limited edition release, including the pair Flamenco and Italia, as well as Intrepid and Recollection.
Flamenco and Italia, two dancers, pay tribute to the aesthetic beauty of the human form in dance, as well as the beauty in dance tradition. Movement, strength and storytelling that emanate through flamenco dancing perfectly parallels the kind of messaging that Asencio seeks to portray in his work.
Intrepid and Recollection continue Asencio’s exploration into monochromatic works of art using sepia oil paint.
An upheaval of masculinity charged with the turmoil and fleeting memories. A teetering between emotion and a dedicated presence. Captive of his own struggle and triumphs, he is empowered not by his physical statement but all that is in accord with his recollections. His movements mirror his resolve. He remains shadowed as he remains unknown even to himself. Posed for a latent revelry, he begins the journey.
The beauty of painting with a singular tone is the immediate gratification in capturing the subject’s essence. Many times in these works the abstraction supports the figure, but in this piece it was the reverse. The figure’s shadows follow the fleeting strokes. The negative shapes of the figure are in harmony with negative shapes of the background. It’s as if she is the key puzzle shape designed to fit with the rest of the painting. The figure doesn’t impose itself, but interlocks perfectly within its design. This in turn mimics the subject’s acceptance of her surroundings and immerses her psyche into the realm of uncertainty.
On Saturday, Henry Asencio painted live in front of his audience. Standing at the Artist’s Stage, Asencio continued a painting, using a live model who posed in the gallery as a reference.
Thank you to everyone who came to support this fabulous artist in one of his most exciting exhibitions to date!
Asencio, “Eclectic Beauty” This August at Exclusive Collections Gallery in San Diego's Seaport Village, Henry Asencio presented a new collection of original oil paintings at his show, "Eclectic Beauty".
