Immaculate
signed and dated 2011 (lower left)
oil on canvas
36" x 36" (91 cm x 91 cm)




Immaculate is a 2011 piece by Lydia Velasco, a feminist artist whose oeuvres are devoted to celebrating the femininity of the Filipina. Alluding to Mary, the mother of Christ, a unique perspective of the Virgin Birth is explored on the canvas — a feat that owes to the trademark artistic treatment of Velasco that lends a sense of intense tension and palpable passion. The art of Velasco features a strong set of female figures, a detail present in this oil painting. Often portrayed with delicate facial features, Mary is depicted by Velasco in her signature style of dramatic contours and elongated physique, exuding a presence of grace and resounding fervor. Posing with an overawing posture, she holds her child in a manner distinct from the typical renditions of Mary and Christ. The white cloth floating from the infant’s body resembles wings, a display of spiritual symbolism. (P.I.R.)