| Marcel Antonio | |
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Antonio in his studio, 2010 |
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| Born | June 28, 1965 Manila, Philippines |
| Nationality | Filipino |
| Occupation | Artist |
Marcel Antonio (born June 28, 1965 in Manila, Philippines) is a Filipino painter considered one of the most promising in Philippine contemporary art.[1] A graduate of the University of the Philippines' College of Fine Arts, Antonio has produced a distinctive collection of figurative narrative and pseudo-narrative paintings influenced by modernism and 1980s postmodernism.
As one of the Philippines' young painters most proficient in his genre, Antonio is considered a prize of collectors in the Manila art market, which following granted the painter mainstream success---since Antonio's career started, art dealers have indulged the painter an unending series of exhibitions.[2]
Antonio's works involve a clear expressionism with mysterious themes, often utilizing fabular images that combine myth with reality. Seeming stories behind his paintings have also captured mainstream gallery goers' attention.
Today, Antonio is also regarded by Philippine critics as one among the most important contemporary Filipino painters, receiving numerous critical acclaim for his magnetic narratives in oil and acrylic. In Manila he has exhibited at Galleria Duemila, The Drawing Room, Gallery BIG, Galleria Quattrocento and Glorietta Art Center, where his following include both local and international buyers. He has also exhibited in Berlin, Australia and Singapore.
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Antonio is the son of Philippine painters Angelito Antonio and Norma Belleza.
While still a sophomore in the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts, Antonio emerged as one of the school's most promising art students when he launched a solo exhibition.[2] His professional career was quickly catapulted into the Manila market, and Antonio had to deal with the pressures of his studies while being enthused by burgeoning requests from art dealers.
By the time Antonio approached his forties in the late 1990s, he had gone through a number of transitions in search of his signature art, but all within the terms of figuration, centrally human figuration. In the shaping of his art he has also quoted mannerisms from both of his parents' works. In an interview, Antonio intimated: "I remember the times when my father would teach me how to draw a muscled man. I guess my passion for figures and storytelling comes from that."[2]
Antonio's inspiration often derives from various contemporary "mythologies", with the artist articulately stressing that his concept of mythology goes beyond the common Greek and Roman notion. He states: "Myth can be anything, just like what Joseph Campbell enunciated in The Power of Myth, where he discussed comparative mythology and the continuing role of myth in human society."
On the issue of originality in art, Antonio has said, "My father used to tell me to not be afraid to copy as it is the safest way to study. Even the masters did it. . . . Originality is a 19th-century idea that just won't die when right now there's really nothing that can be deemed totally original. Striving for originality in art is delusional. You can only do so much."[2]
Solo Shows
Selected Group Exhibitions
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