In this solo show Fatima Ronquillo unveiled new works. It was the return of the immensely talented and coveted artist, Fatima Ronquillo, with her latest masterpiece: “Amore: An Ode to Love”. An exclusive feature by columnist Riccha Grrover for Asian Lite International.
In this eagerly awaited showcase, Ronquillo unveiled a stunning collection of five brand-new works, each a testament to her mastery of classical inspiration, enchanting pictorial imagery, and the fusion of rich cultural traditions.
Her extraordinary paintings executed with her sublime technique, transport us to a realm of serenity and charm, where mysteries unfold, personages come to life, and pastoral landscapes provide a backdrop for the drama and playfulness that lie beneath the surface.
At the heart of this collection is the theme of love—its pleasures and its pain. Drawing inspiration from timeless poetry by the likes of Shakespeare, Spenser, Hafez, and Oscar Wilde, Ronquillo delves deep into the complex tapestry of human emotion.
This new series of masterpieces takes us on a journey through the intricacies of love, offering a visual feast that resonates with the echoes of art history, nostalgia, and characters drawn from literature, theater, and opera.
Shakespeare’s Sonnet 40: “Take all my loves, my love, yea take them all” serves as a muse, weaving a narrative of love’s all-encompassing nature, where every facet of the heart is laid bare. Ronquillo’s brushwork captures the depth and complexity of love, from its sweetest moments to its most profound sorrows.
Edmund Spenser’s “Amoretti: My love is like to ice, and I to fire” ignites the canvas with passion and intensity. Through Ronquillo’s expert technique, we witness the juxtaposition of two opposing forces—the coldness of ice and the fervent blaze of love—as they dance together in a mesmerizing visual ballet.
“The Nightingale and the Rose” by Hafez and Oscar Wilde resonates with Ronquillo’s exploration of love’s sacrifices and the pursuit of its elusive beauty. Her paintings pay homage to these poetic narratives, infusing them with her unique magical realism and a touch of colonial Latin American traditions.
In Ronquillo’s hands, the canvas becomes a portal to a world where love transcends time and culture, where emotions are both universal and deeply personal. Her works beckon us to contemplate the eternal themes of love, longing, and desire, inviting us to connect with the characters and stories she brings to life.
“Amore: An Ode to Love” is a testament to the artist’s unerring commitment to the art of meaning and sentiments, her ability to conjure beauty from the depths of her soul, and her unique gift for melding classical European influences with the most contemporary feelings.
This exhibition is an unforgettable journey through the complexities of the heart, a symphony of color and emotion that leaves the audience profoundly moved and inspired.
About Fatima Ronquillo:
Born in San Fernando, Philippines in 1976, Fatima Ronquillo emigrated as a child to the United States in 1987 where her family settled in San Antonio, Texas. She currently resides and maintains a studio in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Her work is included in prestigious private collections throughout North America and Europe.
Fatima Ronquillo is a self-taught painter whose classically inspired imagery evokes a world of serenity and charm. Her paintings of mysterious personages, often set against pastoral and idyllic landscapes, are accented with an underlying sense of drama and playfulness. These intimate works are painted in the style of European old masters coupled with a magical realism rooted in folk and colonial Latin American traditions.
In her paintings, we find numerous references and a strong connection with European paintings from the 16th and 17th centuries. The poses of the depicted characters, their gazes, the natural ele- ments and landscapes, as well as the colors: all these elements transport us back centuries. The poses of the depicted characters, their gazes, the natural elements and landscapes, as well as the colors: all these elements transport us back centuries.
Infused with romanticism, Ronquillo’s paintings encapsulate a mysterious story told through symbols and metaphors. The beauty, as well as the fragility of both man and nature, are painted with great mastery and lyrical grace, just as much as love, which in Ronquillo’s portrayal is not a perfect love: it is romantic, yet also nostalgic, and can be a source of sadness and suffering. His is a true, real love, composed of both light and shadow.
Through the lens of magical realism, the artist illuminates an “other reality” that is a synthesis between the everyday of the real world and the magical dimension of dreams and visionary minds. Hers is an authentic voice that echoes from an inner world where art history meets with nostalgia and imagined characters from literature, theater, and opera.
About Dorothy Circus Gallery:
Dorothy Circus Gallery is a space dedicated to the figurative avant-gardes in contemporary art. The gallery brings together international established and up and coming artists from the worlds of Painting, Sculpture, Photography and Street Art, selected for their compelling visual languages and intriguing correlation to Pop iconography, New Surrealism and Magic Realism.
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