Efrain Palermo is an artist with a unique, visionary art style. He has recently arrived from the United States and will debut his art style at the FIAPE exposition in Estremoz – open from 01-05 May 2024. Palermo’s art style, which he describes as Sculpted Oils combines bas-relief sculpture with oil painting in curved, bent frames.
A Gecko’s Dream
His pieces are colourful, and the extra dimensionality creates a visual effect that goes beyond a flat canvas. The curved bent frame adds motion and keeps the eyes traveling through the art. Some of his pieces are whimsical and serve as visual eye candy like the piece he recently finished in Estremoz titled ‘A Gecko’s Dream,’ which was carved from plaster of Paris and painted with oils.
The Book of Two Ways
The artist also uses themes in some of his works like the Egyptian piece, ‘The Book of Two Ways’, in which the artist incorporated iconography from the scrolls of the Egyptian book of the dead with the curved frame in the shape of a cartouche. All the structural elements are made with unglazed ceramic, which are then painted with oils, and finished with a heavy clear epoxy coat that gives the illusion of a ceramic glaze.
Efrain Palermo currently lives in Venda da Porca, a small hamlet just outside Estremoz, and is currently putting together a gallery at his home that will be open to the public. It will be interesting to see how the locals react to his particular form of art and how his style will mature under the artful gaze of the Alentejo hills!
Why the move to Portugal?
Efrain Palermo was born in Brooklyn, New York to Puerto Rican parents, moved to Portland, Oregon, and from there to Portugal. He is a self-trained artist and has been working over the past twenty years on his art style. When asked why he made the lifestyle choice to move to Portugal, he says it was to expand his artistic vision.
If you are in Estremoz this week be sure to check out all that the FIAPE fair has to offer and don’t miss the opportunity to see Efrain’s art up close.
