Paul Arenas is born in Philippines in 1979. He graduated with a Bachelor in Fine Arts Major in Painting at the University of the Philippines Cebu College in April 2002. He has also won awards at the Jose Joya Awards Annual Painting Competition and the Metrobank Foundation, Inc. Young Painters' Annual.
Paul's art presents the everyday people – social status, mediocrity, human inclinations, social dispositions, attitudes, behavior, character, culture and customs. His art captures the playfulness and exaggeration from simple and ordinary situations that are recurrent, prevalent and real. These subjects are painted in the style of figurative abstract, cubism, symbolism and motifs of social realism.
The paintings are done in oil, covering the canvas with thick pastel colors. The bold strokes adapted from impasto and scraffito technique, intensifies the texture, movement and contrast of light and shade. The figures are portrayed in a very linear and child-like effect, influenced by Picasso and principles of Matisse. His paintings reflect the positive outlook and liveliness of the Filipinos.
People are his main subjects which he finds mysterious, complicated and interesting. His art embraces simplicity yet his subjects are full of irony. These are all well-represented in his artwork.
Posts
