Recurring religious themes in the work of VITALIS

VITALIS received a Catholic education in the Philippines, first in high school and then in college. He was not a practising Catholic, and more than a believer, he would have been above all a mystic. In his work, however, religious themes occupy a recurrent place: maternity, the holy family, the annunciation, etc. He painted many “crucifixions” which have the particularity of always being constructed in an identical manner. It remains to be seen whether the frequency of this theme (more than 50 paintings recorded) coincides with a personal inclination or more prosaically responds to the taste of his public, or even both…

The “Vintage VITALIS” catalogue of 2011 mentions this theme: “Vitalis also tackled religious themes, revealing a mystical side of the artist. He said that his purpose in painting such subjects was not particularly spiritual, but that these works simply reflected what he felt and what he was.”