Portuguese Artist Travels To Memphis To Debut On South Main

Traveling from Lisbon, Portugal on his first visit to Memphis and the South Main Arts District, Art Village Gallery is pleased to announce Mario Henrique's debut solo exhibition at the gallery, Somnium (Daydreams). The show will be on view June 29th through August 31, 2018, with a private viewing for media on Thursday, June 28 from 1pm to 4pm, and a public opening reception during Trolley Night on Friday, June 29 from 6:30pm until 8:30pm. The artist, arriving from Portugal, will be in attendance at both events.

Drawing inspiration from Henrique's fascination of facial expressions and human behavior, Somnium, premieres ten medium to large-scale figurative paintings on reverse canvas. Henrique has a growing reputation for his meticulously detailed, symbolic and enigmatic portrait paintings.

"I paint people. I find it to be the most interesting subject. I'm always intrigued by the subtleties and the double meanings of people's body language, expressions, and looks," says Henrique.

Gallery Director, Sheila Urevbu commented, "Mario's exquisite detailing prevents each painting from being absorbed in a single glance; each moment with the work seems to unveil a new gesture, a slight expression or new feeling that you hadn't noticed moments before; it feels as if the characters within the artwork are sending you a message that is deeply personal."

To counterbalance the ten bold portrait paintings, Henrique is also set to showcase ten additional small-scale abstract expressionist works executed on paper from a separate collection, the Ballerina series.

The opening reception also kicks off a series of related events hosted by Art Village Gallery.

On Saturday, June 30 at 7pm, the gallery's exhibition "dinner and dialogue" series, which pairs visual and culinary art with curated dialogue on thought provoking subject matter, will feature cuisine from the coastal country of Portugal prepared by Colombian-born Ana Gonzales, Executive Chef at Blu restaurant in downtown Memphis; alongside visual art by Henrique.

Dialogue will be curated and led by human resources executive, Ericka DeBruce, of Sedgwick CMS. Seating is limited. Tickets are 100 USD, and can be purchased online only, via Eventbrite.

Prior to the seated dinner, on Saturday, June 30, the gallery will host an afternoon "Conversation with the Artist," event from 2pm to 3pm, led by curator Sheila Urevbu. A sit down with artist to discuss the inspirations and process behind his paintings will be the focus. The event is free and open to the public.

Mario Henrique (b. 1975, lives and works in Portugal) is a designer and painter. He graduated in Communication Design from Lisbon's University of Fine Arts and started his career as a designer of e-learning systems, digital marketing platforms and websites. During this time he won design efficiency awards and was invited to collaborate as an assistant teacher of arts and multimedia. Later, as a creative director, he recruited and led teams of designers and developers working on various online projects in Portugal, Spain and Brazil. In all of his projects, drawing and photography were always kept as the main foundations - this is clear in his paintings, which are parallel to his work as a designer.

Listed in private collections in Portugal, Spain, Italy, UK, Germany, Switzerland, Brazil and USA, he has exhibited in galleries both locally and abroad, and was awarded an Honourable Mention for his participation in the Brasília Biennial of Contemporary Arts 2016. Mario owns a studio/gallery in Cascais Marina (Portugal), where some of his paintings are in permanent exhibition.

Art Village Gallery is a contemporary fine art gallery located in the historic South Main Arts District in Memphis, TN and has the primary purpose of supporting and promoting the work of emerging International Artists. Founded in 1991 by Ephraim Urevbu and currently led by Sheila Urevbu, the gallery has established a reputation for designing and curating culturally significant exhibitions and experiences that inspire an appreciation for diversity and culture.

HOURS + PROGRAMMING

THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2018
Media Reception | 1pm - 4pm
RSVP

THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2018
Collector + VIP Preview | 6pm - 8pm

FRIDAY, JUNE 29, 2018
Trolley Night | Opening Reception | 6:30 - 8:30pm

SATURDAY, JUNE 30, 2018
Conversation with the artist, led by Sheila Urevbu | 2pm - 3pm

SATURDAY, JUNE 30, 2018
Exhibition Dinner & Dialogue: Portuguese edition
7pm - 9pm | Tickets online only | 100 USD

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