MANILA, Dec 16 (Reuters) – Philippine artist Elito Circa has blood on his arms, actually – however solely to create artwork with.
Utilizing blood taken from his personal veins, the 52-year outdated produces canvas work which have drawn each reward and criticism due to his uncommon alternative of medium.
Born in a low-income family with little entry to high school provides and artwork supplies, Circa explored completely different mediums, together with plums and tomatoes, but it surely was when he scraped himself as a younger boy that his fascination with utilizing blood started.
“Each time I obtained scraped, I might use my very own blood since bloodstains are additionally exhausting to take away,” stated Circa, whereas dabbing a white canvass utilizing a paint brush dipped in blood.
Now, Circa goes to the city’s well being clinic as soon as each three months to have his blood extracted, normally in increments of 500 ml (17 oz), which he shops in a cooler in his studio for future initiatives.
“My art work is essential to me as a result of they arrive from me, it’s from my very own blood, my DNA is a part of it… My philosophy is that life is round and the whole lot is a cycle, so (my blood) is a device that serves as a reminder of the place I got here from,” Circa stated.
After portray a 122 x 244 cm (4 x 8 ft) mural depicting the historical past of Pantabangan, the city the place he grew up, Circa has set his sights on a extra formidable mission – to create in 2023 the most important “blood portray” ever on a 100-metre (328 ft) canvas, setting a world document.
Reporting by Adrian Portugal; Writing by Karen Lema
Enhancing by Gareth Jones
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