Three Sorcerers 1977

Rene Portocarrero made this painting, Three Sorcerers, with bright colours and loose gestures that invite a sense of mystery and ritual. Imagine the artist stepping up to the canvas, probably in a studio filled with the smell of oil paint, maybe a little music playing. I wonder what was going through Portocarrero's mind as he layered the paint, building up these figures with broad strokes of reds, yellows, and blues, all dancing on the canvas. It's like he's conjuring these sorcerers right before our eyes. The paint looks pretty fluid, not too thick, allowing those vibrant colours to really sing. Look at the way he defines the shapes with these bold outlines, giving the figures a real presence. Portocarrero reminds me of other painters who mix abstraction with figuration, where the process of painting becomes a way of exploring identity and culture. This painting feels like a conversation between the artist and his own imagination, inviting us to join in and find our own meanings within its energetic surface.