An artist of reinvention is Francis Nacion Jr.
Known before for his colorful-genre-style paintings with highly textured etched-on-wet-paint details and half-revealed, half-hidden faces, Nacion has lately been painting in neutral colors without losing his followers and collectors.
Nacion broke into the scene nine years ago.
“I apprenticed under Fernando Sena,” he said. “He was a very generous teacher, and he allowed me to sell my works while we had sessions in Alabang, where he taught ladies who enrolled in his lessons. My work then was very simple. I did mostly works on paper, and during that day I showed my works to his students, they bought my whole portfolio. I felt validated with my decision to pursue my passion to paint. They were my first collectors, and they still support me to this day. Along the way, galleries took notice of me and introduced my work to new collectors. I was lucky to have shown my work here, in Hong Kong and in Singapore too.”
In fact, his works have been used by a popular greeting-card brand, and one work featured in the Christmas collectible edition of a household boxed table paper napkin brand.
“I always wanted my works to bring people smiles. I want my legacy to be that of happiness.”
It was a big surprise then, in 2012, that he started painting in very neutral colors, with a subject matter that was quite unlike what he used to do. Exchanging his brilliant magentas, sky blues and greens for ochre, olive green and shades of brown, he forayed into the subject matter of the unseen and unknown.
“I felt I had to do it,” he said. “I needed to stay true to my art… Our collectors were surprised, but they saw the value of the works.”
Done in layers, his new works show an X-ray-like view of the world, where the unseen is revealed. A deeply spiritual person, his sensibility is manifested in his works.
His other works show women with animals, which he said illustrate the metamorphosis of the spirit.
“In our folk tales, we hear of nature spirits. I suppose that was how our ancestors described their intimacy with nature. However, these days, we seem to have distanced ourselves from nature. We’ve cut too many trees and used too many natural resources. There is an imbalance.”
“ImaheNacion,” Francis Nacion Jr.’s seventh solo exhibit, will open on Feb. 10, 6 p.m. at Galerie Stephanie, Unit 1B, Parc Plaza Building, Eulogio Rodriguez Jr. Ave., Libis, Quezon City. Tel. 7091488.