ABOUT THE WORK

The works of contemporary artist Mark Lester Espina take the age-old technique of realism and appropriates them for the contemporary age. Given Espina’s background in Advertising, he is accustomed to the various tropes and cliches present in an undoubtedly hyper-consumerist world. Thus, Espina tries to break free from this convention by synthesizing the timeless allure of realism with the exciting energy of contemporary aesthetics. Espina was reportedly said to have found his own artistic voice through a fated eureka moment back in 2014. Due to an upcoming deadline for an exhibit, Espina had no choice but to hasten his process with the sparse selection of tools and instruments available to him. Using a dried paintbrush, Espina rendered what was supposed to be a detailed dress on a female figure in hurried gobs and splotches of rough gestural strokes. Espina saw how the abstract elements of his hurried approach gave an interesting aura to the much more realist treatment of his other elements. After this fated day, Espina worked tirelessly to refine his newfound artistic voice. Espina has since created an impressive body of work that perfectly captures the essence of contemporary society.