ABOUT THE WORK

Prolific painter, printmaker, and photographer Mario Parial has an undisputable wealth of artistic vision. His works feature a wide range of diverse themes, noted by many for its warm colors and folk quality. Saranggola presents Parial’s lush palette and attention to detail as he portrayed a mundane scene with local subjects and objects. Here, he is able to capture a genre scene in such a way that the level of consciousness is heightened. The subjects and the local objects are presented in straightforward geometric and streamlined details. Kites are rendered with engaging patterns, and the human figures add to the compositional appeal of this piece. Parial studied under numerous Modernist masters such as Manuel Rodriguez, Sr., Vincente Manansala, and Carlos V. Francisco. In 1969, he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Santo Tomas. His style is uniquely Filipino, developed with his interest in folklife. Parial’s oeuvre includes genre, mother and child, religious, and mythical themes and figures, also marked by natural and organic elements and patterns.