A Thriving Arts and Cultural Community
MALE NUDES Oil Paintings by SOLEIL MANNION Excellent Frameworks
Aeneas, 60” x 48” Oil on canvas by Soleil Mannion
the idolized female nude on its head and became the one with the brush, the artist scrutinizing, making the decisions on how and what is portrayed. It took me two years to complete 32 paintings. During that time I learned that I had unacknowledged beliefs and preconceived ideas about what it is to be a man. I learned that I am biased towards stereotypes regarding beauty. And that we all, men and women alike, strive toward unobtainable goals of perfection. Unexpectedly, I also learned that men often do not feel able to express sensuality, sensitivity and vulnerability. And for this, I would like to take the time to thank each and every one of my models for trusting me to express through paint, their vulnerabilities on canvas.
“I still don’t have the words, but the purpose of visual art is to be powerful and emotive with statement. It should transport you from the piece you are looking at to the point of experiencing it. That is how I paint.” Soleil Mannion Male Nudes is a show that explores the male body and masculine sensuality from the viewpoint of a woman. I wanted to capture the male body as a tribute to men’s beauty. To do this, I turned the traditional role of the male artist painting 32
Achilles, Oil on Canvas 48”x 36” by Soleil Mannion
Perseus, 60” X 36” Oil on Canvas Soleil Mannion
Soleil Mannion is a Dutchborn Canadian artist. “I began painting in 2006 and have not put down my oil paint brushes since. My paintings capture the beauty and the tension between stillness and movement, balancing between finished and unfinished. The landscapes and figures invite the viewer into a conversation, a conversation that is intimate and personal. One that I hope inspires deep feeling. My art is in the
private collections of people from all across the globe. Soleil Mannion’s Male Nudes run from April 5-24. Excellent Frameworks Home of the EJ Hughes Gallery, 115 Kenneth Street 250-746-7112 www.excellentframeworks.ca www.ejhughes.ca
