Provenance: Private Collection, Manila

ABOUT THE WORK

Marcel Antonio is the son of renowned painters Angelito Antonio and Norma Belleza. He was encouraged to do art at a young age, saying, “it was like second nature for me.” For that, he was regarded as one of the most promising young artists in the Philippines. Even though he was still a student at the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts, he was able to launch a solo show and thereafter dropped out of the college to continue producing collections of his pseudo-narrative figurative paintings. From then to this day, Marcel’s works remain popular among collectors in the Manila art market. However, although the artist was born into a creative household, Marcel attributes his skill to the metamorphosis of his art style. He believes that art is nurtured. From an interview with Artes de las Filipinas, he said: “A lot of people have this mistaken notion that art is equated with having talent. I think art can be taught.” He might have grown up in an artistic environment as a child, but he actually thought of painting as a play. For him, it was a play with a purpose. “It was really fun,” Marcel recalled. “It still is fun.” (P.I.R.)