Marco Paulo and his Quest for the Holy Grail

BELIEVE IT OR NOT BUT SOMETIMES YOU ENCOUNTER ELEMENT THAT AT FIRST GLANCE HAVE NOTHING IN COMMON, BUT WHEN YOU DIG A BIT DEEPER YOU LIGHT COME TO VERY INTERESTING DISCOVERIES. TAKE FOR EXAMPLE MARCO PAULO, THE KNIGHTS OF THE HOLY GRAIL AND THE SWEDISH POP GROUP ABBA. YOU MIGHT FIND THIS A STRANGE COMBINATION. BUT PROBABLY NOT SO AFTER READING THIS ARTICLE.

Taking off from the Louvre in Paris you can literally walk in a straight, crossing the Place de la Concorde, down the Champs-Élysées, underneath the Arc de Triomphe, all the way to the place called la Defense. If you follow that line you end up at the Grand Arc, an immense open-square building that is the modern mirror image of the Napoleonic Empire style Arc de Triomphe. On a stones throw distance from this giant arc lives an artist of French and Czechoslovakian who goes by the name Marco Paulo.

The original Marco Polo was a 13th century Venetian merchant traveler and explorer, whose voyages brought him to the unknown territories in Asia. He went with open mind and brought back many new experiences. Today’s Marco Paulo is not much different safe he is Parisian and his travels include more spiritual and creative territories. Marco Paulo picked up a pencil to start drawing for the first time at the early age of 3. Growing up he embarked on a 5 year long psychology study at the La Sorbonne university in the French capital and he has worked many years in this field since then. But simultaneously, at the age of 29, Marco Paulo went through a spiritual awakening that once again drove his attention to the art of illustration.

Marco Paulo’s art encompasses two different themes. His portfolio exist out of more spiritual illustrations and portraits of beautiful men. Both influence each other and together they have become a unity that defines Marco Paulo as the artist he is today. A man of integrity with a passion for the arts and sensitivity for the psyche. Turning toward the art after having studied psychology was for Marco Paulo like starting a quest to his own personal Grail. He explains: “I have always been interested to capture something of the soul of the models and transcribe it through their beauty. Art is like breathing to me. I couldn’t live without it.”

Marco Paulo has an interesting list of favorite men to illustrate. It includes celebrities Keanu Reeves, James Franco and Swedish singer Peter Jöback, but also male models such as Dionisio Heiderscheid, Kyle Ledeboer and Todd Sanfield. At the same time Marco Paulo feels hislmef drawn to the majestic beauty of female icons like Greta Garbo, Isabelle Adjani, Catherine Deneuve and Marilyn Monroe. Using materials that vary from pencil, aquarelle and acrylic paint and digital techniques, he creates his portraits and often combined it with elements of typography and calligraphy.

Growing up Marco Paulo discovered his attraction to other boys at early age. To young to understand and accept, he found liberation in art and music and the voices and music of Abba offered him an imaginary world where he could escape and be himself. Ever since his childhood, Abba has been a source of inspiration and a loyal companion on his quest for his personal Holy Grail. –BM-

MARCO PAULO | BEAUTIFULMAG

Comments

[r]

All are soooo beautiful & fantastically drawn.... :)

[A. Catherine Noon]

Wow! Incredible artist!

[Stephen Rice]

I've watched your art grow, Marco, as you have pursued your quest, your holy grail, over the years since 1987....I am fortunate to have you in my life......Stephen.