Paris gallery featuring work of Concord art professor
Press Release
Issue date: 4/28/10 Section: News
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A native of Maturin, Venezuela, Porras portrays the Warao and other tribes of the Latin American rainforests in his paintings. Through oils and watercolors, he reveals stories of people he calls "mysterious and beautiful" and with whom he has been in contact since his childhood.
"Like many other indigenous groups of the world's rainforests, their civilization is being shattered by the constant exploitation of the area," Porras says in his artist's statement.
Dedicated for over 20 years to portray these tribes, Porras studies color and light and how the play between positive and negative spaces affects the viewer when worked on large canvases.
His Paris show, entitled "Orinoco," features the Warauno people who live deep inside the delta of the Orinoco River in Venezuela. The solo show features 20 oil paintings ranging in size from four by four feet up to eight feet. Radiating from the large canvases are the faces and stories of the Warao.
"Every painting has a story that goes with it…every story is about the rainforest," Porras said.
The intent of his work, he said, is to create "awareness and respect" for the Warao "and the way they live."
Mingling colors and abstract shapes with the deeper meaning behind the paintings, Porras strives for creations that are pleasing not only to the eye, but also to the intellect.
"Orinoco" opened in Paris at Galerie Vivendi on April 6, 2010 and runs through April 25, 2010. Galerie Vivendi is located at 28 Place des Vosges, Paris, France.
Porras recently exhibited in Toronto, Canada; Miami, Fla.; Palm Beach, Fla.; Washington, D.C. and New York, N.Y. Upcoming exhibits for 2010 include Monte Carlo, Monaco; Chicago, Ill.; San Francisco, Ca.; Beirut, Lebanon, Toronto and Miami.
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