Seeing art inside aMarco Polo, the sculptor, gives life to stones

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Art

February 11, 2016

Seeing art inside aMarco Polo, the sculptor, gives life to stones

Marco’s works consists of different medium ranging from

steel to fiberglass and terracotta but stone has remained best suited

for his work. This according to Marco is because the stone has its ‘life and energy.’ He can feel its energy and see the sculpture inside the piece

of stone.’

Liju Cherian

A SCULPTOR from Ecuador has made Oman his second home for a while now. He works quietly among figurative and abstract sculptures made out of stone, marble, fiber

glass and terracotta and gives life to it. A natural artist Marco Marcelo Polo Villalva (Marco

Polo for short) has been designing and sculpting for over 30 years.In 2009, he visited Muscat through a friend and

found Oman the best place to give vent to his ideas as a sculptor, and has since made Oman his home and the best place to practice his skills.He sources the best marble and gets inspiration

from the natural beauty which the Sultanate has to offer in plenty. Marco admits from experience that most of the sculptures are inspired by the strength and beauty of a lady. He has exhibited internationally and his critically acclaimed sculptures are in numerous private collections spread over the Middle East, Europe, Latin America and United States. Marco the sculptor sees art inside a rock. As

part of his work, he visualizes a model in mind and makes a sketch and models small pieces in clay using marble and natural stone. Marco doesn’t just sculpt stones; he uses them to express himself and he discovers life inside them. He specially loves Omani marble which is available in plenty in the Wilayats of Sohar and Suwaiq working on a theme for about five to six days.

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Marco’s works consists of different medium ranging from steel to fiberglass and terracotta but stone has remained best suited for his work. This according to Marco is because ‘stone has its life and energy. He can feel its energy and see the sculpture inside the piece of stone.’ Marco’s sculptures vary in scale from small work to life size or larger compositions.Marco through his work is on

the lookout for what is neither real nor the unreal but the subconscious and the mystery of what is instinctive in the human race. These striking sculptures provide the viewer as a receiver, in different impressions which can be interpreted in various ways according to the receiver’s own thoughts.Murtadha al Lawati, Museum

Manager, Ghalya’s Museum of Modern Art, who coordinates his work says, Marco is a natural artist and comes out with works which have beautiful value. “His pieces are chosen by those who know contemporary art and are unqiue pieces.” Marcos had his education

from the Central University of Ecuador, Arts Faculty Degree in Sculpture and Drawing for 3 years from 1977-81 taking a degree in sculpture and drawing with design and sculpture. He pursued his work practically in Quito at the Ecuador College of Arts. Not quite content here he got a break when he went to work in London for five years which provided him with a chance for solo exhibitions.“I like human bodies and the

work related to people and their relationship and emotions,” he says.Some of Marco’s pieces of

work are conveniently titled ‘On the Beach,’ where a perfectly

Marco Marcelo Polo Villalva

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tanned piece of marble portrays a relaxing lady on the beach, ‘The Embrace’ wherein the marble sculpture shows the beautiful bond between a couple in love. The name Marco ‘perfectly suits the sculpture’, he says. ‘United Foreever,’ is another of his work where the sculpture is a depiction of two lives and hearts joined together in friendship and united forever.In ‘Memories’ his marble work

describes about the memories of life moved in the other direction while ‘Arms Folded’ is the sculpted piece that shows its own identity and meaning.Marco has held group exhibition

at around 28 different cities in Ecuador and the rest of the world. Since 2012, he has taken an active part at the Ghalyas Museum of Modern Art Muscat since 2012. He has exhibited at Dexa Gallery, Panama University, Panama 1986 cultural Home of Narino, Colombia 1988 Cervantes Institute (Spanish Cultural Centre in conjunction with the Embassy of Ecuador). London 2004. Among the host of awards

he received are from Quito, his home town. The Department of Education and Popular Culture from the local Municipality, gave him a second Honourable Mention in 1985 and 1986. Not to mention the Central University of Ecuador Arts Faculty Diploma in 1986 and the Municipality of Quito Department of Education and Popular Culture. Added to this is the Diploma in

1992 and the Excelencia Latina 2005 London Medal by the Ecuadorian Residents awarded him the Marco admits that all his sculptures are his best work and he does not point out to a particular one as such. There is a great friendship and

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bond between Marco and Omani marble with which he works. It took him quite a long time to find this marble piece. As an artist he feels a strong relation between both. He has used Omani marble in most of his works. Over the years, he has been impressed by the

scenic beauty around Muscat as he says the city itself presents him as a sculptor due to its nature, mountains and the sharp curves of the cliffs which inspires him no end.Marco’s work consists of different medium

ranging from steel to fiber glass and terracotta but stone has remained best suited for his work. This according to him is because “stone has its life, energy and he can see the sculpture inside the piece of stone. Marco's sculptures vary in scale from small work to life size or larger compositions.He is bent on working on many new projects

and as an artist is inspired by everything beautiful. Ghalya’s Museum has been continuously supporting his art. He says the museum values good quality of his work and Oman has excellent art movement and hopes it shapes up towards a better stage in future. ‘Failure is a stepping stone to success and I picked up the stone,’ he says satisfied at the outlook of his life as a sculptor.

Marco through his work searches for what is neither real nor the unreal but

the subconscious and the mystery of what is instinctive in the human

race. These striking sculptures provide different impressions which can be

interpreted in various ways according to the receiver’s own thoughts.

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Art