康妮基里诺在法国绘画
马尼拉——五岁时,康妮基里诺拿着她母亲康奇塔基里诺送给她的第一支蜡笔。那时她还很年轻,基里诺就学会了在她的涂色书上画画。
基里诺告诉ABS-CBN新闻:"多年后,我被我姐姐科里的炭笔素描《米开朗基罗的垂死奴隶》迷住了,这是她在西班牙马德里学习后带回家的。"。
这幅素描启发了基里诺学习绘画。她开始在马卡蒂圣洛伦佐的阿森松岛女修道院学习基础艺术课程,在那里她获得了很高的荣誉。
"这鼓励我在费德里科阿吉拉尔阿尔夸兹的指导下继续深造,他于1985年成为我的导师,"基里诺说。
阿尔库阿兹通过他的现场肖像画《特雷斯马里亚斯》向基里诺传授了他的印象主义风格
"家族中第一位知名的艺术家是我尊敬的祖父,埃尔皮迪奥基里诺总统,他当时是一位崭露头角的肖像艺术家,"基里诺分享道。"他从他的素描中赚了一点钱,这有助于支付他的一些学费。"
基里诺认为她从祖父那里继承了艺术天赋。她在阿森松学院学习心理学,但没有完成课程。"因为我太忙于照顾我的孩子,"她说
honestly said.Her childhood dream was to study in Spain, but that did not happen. “Instead, I got married early at the age of 20,” she disclosed. “I focused on being a homemaker and mother, but that did not dampen my spirits to still become an artist.”
Quirino’s first solo show, “Romancing Life,” was staged more than two decades ago, in May 2001 at the Gallery Y, Glorietta 4 in Makati City.
“My first mentor, Federico Aguilar Alcuaz, graced the occasion alongside my sister, Cory Quirino, to cut the ribbon,” Quirino recalled. “Federico was the first to purchase a still life painting from me.
“I was truly honored. It took me so long before planning my second one-woman show, because my main focus was to bring up my children.”
In between, Quirino also traveled to France and the US to further her studies in the arts through intensive workshops.
“I became a member of Atelier L’arc en Ciel under mentors Elaine O. Herbosa and Mia Herbosa for 12 years,” Quirino said. “I participated in annual group exhibits at the Artistspace of Ayala Museum, The Bellevue Hotel, Art in the Park and more.
In 2007, Quirino was introduced to modeling for TV commercials and print ads, something she enjoys doing up to the present.
She also loves to “swim, snorkel, dive, workout in the gym, bike, walk, go bowling and collect stamps,” other activities that take up much of her time.
This pandemic, Quirino encountered her biggest challenge since she never wanted to stop learning techniques and improving her skills. Working in the new normal, she enrolled in online classes at the Art Students League, New York.
“My bedtime hours were reversed because of the time difference between New York and Manila,” she said. “It was also difficult to go out and draw live subjects because of the restrictions of the pandemic, so I had to improvise at home based on my imagination and homemade compositions.”
Quirino is a single mom with four “wonderful” sons – chefs Paul and Chuck, US military staff sergeant Curtis Christopher, youngest Daniel – and is a doting grandma to three granddaughters, Kisses, Zoie and Arya
“When this pandemic is over, I’d like to travel to the US and visit my son, Christopher, who is based in Colorado, as well as my sister, Cecilia, in New York. I would also love to go back to art school in Manhattan [New York].”
“My kids tell me to be happy, stay healthy, and remind me that failures are lessons in life and to keep on going because they makes me a better person, a better artist,” she said.
Quirino unveils her new works in “Bold and Beautiful,” her second solo exhibit that opens on July 7 at Fashion Interiors Philippines on Chino Roces Avenue, Makati City. The exhibit runs from July 8 to 30.
She opted for that title “simply because life is beautiful and one must be bold enough to seize it,” she explained. “Also, my subjects in this exhibit cover nudes, plein air, seascapes, landscapes, still life and portraiture from life. They all depict what is pleasing to the eyes.”