From November 10 to December 4, Mario’s Restaurant located along 191 Tomas Morato corner Scout Gandia, Quezon City presents the works of artist Michael Velasco in a one-man exhibit entitled ‘Grace, Elegance and Humanity.’
A painter, muralist and portraitist, Velasco has long held a fascination for the female form. His works done in oil and gold leaf on canvas, reflect Modernist and Classicist influence characterized by the use of silver and gold leaf backgrounds. Evident in his pieces are sculptural forms and modern geometric patterns of fabric. He uses the long shadows cast by the late afternoon light to naturally reveal form in a unique way.
Two of Velasco’s masterpieces are “After Rehearals” and “Pointe Shoes.”
“After Rehearsals” captures a ballerina from a top shot, her body bent over, hair tightly tied in a bun, her tutu spread around her, a silk shoe showing at the edge, her hands folded at her ankles; all this amid a gold leaf background.
Another ballerina ties her shoes with light streaming through her seemingly ethereal tutu in a piece entitled “Pointe Shoes.”
Velasco finds inspiration in the work of a plethora of past and present masters like Waterhouse, Klimt, Sargeant, Bougereau, Degas, Whistler Stewart, Juan Luna, Jeremy Lipking, Daniel Greene and Scott Burdick. Velasco will then his exhibit to Europe, starting with an exhibition in Geneva, Switzerland then on to Venice, Italy with a swing through Rome, Florence and Milan. Barcelona, Spain is the next stop, then Madrid and off to Paris, France and finally to Amsterdam, The Netherlands before coming back to Manila.
For more information on this exhibit, visit or call Mario’s at 372-0360 or 415-3887 for reservations. Mario’s is open 7am to 11pm from Mondays to Sundays.
