Henry Asencio (born 1978) is an American painter who works largely in the medium of oil on canvas in the

abstract expressionism Abstract expressionism is a post–World War II art movement in American painting, developed in New York City in the 1940s. It was the first specifically American movement to achieve international influence and put New York at the center of the ...

style. He is known for his paintings of the female form on abstract backgrounds."Henry Asencio: Figurative Avant-Garde." ''Florida Design's Art Galleries and Fine Antiques'' Vol 1: 14.

Early life

Henry Asencio was born in 1971 in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

and raised in

Santa Maria, California Santa Maria (Spanish language, Spanish for "Mary, mother of Jesus, St. Mary") is a city near the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of California in northern Santa Barbara County, California, Santa Barbara County. It is approximately no ...

. He painted as a self-taught artist up until his mid-twenties. Asencio experimented with elements of

realism Realism, Realistic, or Realists may refer to: In the arts *Realism (arts), the general attempt to depict subjects truthfully in different forms of the arts Arts movements related to realism include: *Classical Realism *Literary realism, a move ...

, specifically

photorealism Photorealism is a genre of art that encompasses painting, drawing and other graphic media, in which an artist studies a photograph and then attempts to reproduce the image as realistically as possible in another medium. Although the term can be ...

. After years of experimentation with various global influences, Asencio developed a unique artistic style of his own.

Career

In 1996, the art supply company, Thayer and Chandler, sponsored Asencio's work, including Asencio in touring exhibitions throughout countries in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

, including

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

and

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. In 1998, Asencio's work was recognized in an art competition in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

, winning gold and silver medals, for self-portraiture in oils and work in acrylic medium, respectively. He studied and trained in the area of fine art, graduating with honors from the

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

Academy of Art University in 1999. He was a chosen finalist for his portraiture in the 1999 ''Artist's Magazine'' competition. Asencio began his professional painting career in 2000 with limited edition mixed media prints. These prints use techniques that combine

lithography Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by the German a ...

and

serigraphy Screen printing is a printing technique where a mesh is used to transfer ink (or dye) onto a substrate, except in areas made impermeable to the ink by a blocking stencil. A blade or squeegee is moved across the screen to fill the open mesh ...

. Once printed, the paintings are then each hand embellished. Prints are produced in limited editions of 195, 25

Artist's proof An artist's proof is an impression of a print taken in the printmaking process to see the current printing state of a plate while the plate (or stone, or woodblock) is being worked on by the artist. A proof may show a clearly incomplete image, ofte ...

s. Asencio lives in

San Jose, California San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popul ...

, home to his personal studio.Forbes, Victor. "Henry Asencio 'I'm So Blessed'." ''Fine Art'' Spring 2005: 9-11.

Style

Asencio's painting style is loosely defined in a contemporary format, combining elements of

expressionism Expressionism is a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Northern Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it rad ...

and

with abstract painting techniques. Asencio's art has been described as "

" and "abstract realism". He says of his own style:

My strongest influences as far as technique are the
Abstract Expressionist Abstract expressionism is a post–World War II art movement in American painting, developed in New York City in the 1940s. It was the first specifically American movement to achieve international influence and put New York at the center of the ...
s. I like very much that they had their own philosophy. I use what I am more empathetic with and that blends somewhat with my own personality. There are giants in the art world who really move me: de Kooning (he makes every stroke of the brush different), Lucien Freud (his work of the flesh is unsurpassed),
Picasso Pablo Ruiz Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist and Scenic design, theatre designer who spent most of his adult life in France. One of the most influential artists of the 20th ce ...
(unbelievable vision, work ethic and unrelenting passion) and
Klimt Gustav Klimt (July 14, 1862 – February 6, 1918) was an Austrian symbolist painter and one of the most prominent members of the Vienna Secession movement. Klimt is noted for his paintings, murals, sketches, and other objets d'art. Klimt's prim ...
(making decorative painting with honesty). If I can bring as much integrity or do as much as they can as far as choosing my own path and following it, I'll be happy. The recognition I don't need as much.

Exhibitions, collections, and selected works

* September 2013: Artist appearance, "Festival of Fashion" at

The Forum Shops at Caesars The Forum Shops at Caesars, also known as The Forum Shops, is an upscale shopping mall on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is connected to the Caesars Palace resort, and both feature a Roman theme. The mall project was announced in 1987. ...

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, NV * August 2013: Exhibition, "The Goddess" at Exclusive Collections Seaport Village Gallery,

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...

, CA * August 2012: Exhibition, "Visions in Crimson" at Exclusive Collections Seaport Village Gallery, San Diego, CA * May 2012: Exhibition, "Grand Opening" at Exclusive Collections Forum Shops Gallery, Las Vegas, NV * April 2012: Exhibition, "Best of the Best" Gala at The Marine Room, La Jolla, CA * October 2011: Exhibition, Galeria del Mar,

St. Augustine Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Afri ...

, FL * August 2011: Exhibition, "The Painted Word" at Exclusive Collections Fashion Valley Gallery, San Diego, CA * March 2011: Exhibition, "Reflection" at Clarendon Fine Art,

Mayfair Mayfair is an affluent area in the West End of London towards the eastern edge of Hyde Park, in the City of Westminster, between Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly and Park Lane. It is one of the most expensive districts in the world. ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

* October 2010: Exhibition, Galeria del Mar, St. Augustine, FL * August 2010: Exhibition, "Allegro" at Exclusive Collections Fashion Valley Gallery, San Diego, CA * 2009:

Museum of Latin American Art The Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) was founded by Dr. Robert Gumbiner in 1996 in Long Beach, California, United States and serves the greater Los Angeles area. MOLAA is the only museum in the United States dedicated to modern and contempora ...

Long Beach Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

, CA * 2009: Exhibition, Galeria del Mar, St. Augustine, FL * August 2009: Exhibition, "Crescendo" at Exclusive Collections Fashion Valley Gallery, San Diego, CA * 2002–2009: New York Art Expo, NY * 2008: Tour, United Kingdom * 2008: Exhibition, Galeria del Mar, St. Augustine, FL * August 2008: Exhibition, Exclusive Collections Fashion Valley Gallery, San Diego, CA * 2007: Exhibition, Galeria del Mar, St. Augustine, FL * 1996: Thayer and Chandler Sponsorship Tour

Awards and honors

* Gold and Silver Medal

Art Competition * 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010: "Today's Top Artist", Art Business News"Henry Asencio." ''Today's Top Artists'' July 2008: 4–5."Henry Asencio." ''Today's Top Artists'' July 2007: 8–9.

References

External links

Crown Thorn Publishing
{{authority control 1971 births 20th-century American painters 21st-century American painters American artists of Mexican descent American male painters American portrait painters Painters from Los Angeles Living people 20th-century American male artists