MANILA, Philippines — Pete Velasquez Jr., a inventive and prolific artist for the reason that Eighties, has explored many alternative ideas for his reveals, significantly for his one-man exhibits.
By means of the years, he has accomplished 14 profitable one-man exhibits and “found” that artwork may adapt — and adapt nicely. However he has by no means accomplished “miniatures.”
And so, for his fifteenth one-man present, “Miniatures,” which happened most not too long ago on the Gateway Gallery, the artwork museum of Araneta Metropolis, he challenged himself to create artworks principally within the dimension of a bond paper, which means roughly 8-1/2×11 inches in dimension, which is smaller than his typical works.
‘Summer season Creek,’ oil on canvas, 11×8.5 inches.
Small, sure, and but Velasquez succeeds in making every of them depict Filipino traditions and core values, that are deeply rooted in respect and love for religion and the significance of household. He powerfully captures this essence in his masterpieces — even on situations when he has restricted area.
An artist who brings Philippine nationalism to life in his artwork, Velasquez excels in numerous media and has received a number of artwork awards and achievements.
An lively member of the Angono Ateliers Affiliation, Filipino Portrait Artists Guild, and QArt Circle Philippines, he was among the many high contenders in GSIS’s 2024 Summary Artwork Competitors.
An architect by career and artist by coronary heart, he’s additionally an illustrator, printmaker, musician, photographer, loving husband and affectionate father. By means of the years, his spirit has all the time sought nourishment, constantly searching for creative progress that made him embrace a lifelong journey of studying new experiences to domesticate his artwork.
‘Vendor with a Canine,’ watercolor on paper, 11×8 inches.
Over the course of his creative profession, he has allowed his model and expression to shift, rework and develop from pen and ink, to watercolor, acrylic, and oil, and from portraits to summary artwork. But the importance of his core Filipino traditions and nationalism has by no means wavered.
His artwork has all the time been styled, permitting him to be free to specific himself with out limitations. His model has all the time been impressed by music, nature, in addition to his inner feelings and exterior reactions. His masterpieces are drawn with sturdy integrity and real self-expression that makes him a strong supply of inspiration for different artists.
‘Woman with Umbrella,’ oil on canvas, 8.5×11 inches.
“Miniatures” ran on the Gateway Gallery from Might 5 to 16. It featured 71 artworks that have been comparatively smaller than his common works. They have been principally rendered in oil on canvas and watercolor on paper. The exhibit was his fifth on the Gateway Gallery.
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