Marcel Mendez - Universo #5 -XL- ( No reserve )

Title: Universe #5
Series: The Universe of the 1000 Faces
Technique: Acrylic on canvas

This work presents a female face transformed into a central sculpture within a surreal-looking architectural space. The figure rises from a stepped circular base, placed on a turquoise square platform, and projects a long violet shadow toward the foreground.

The face is divided between cream and light violet. One eye remains open and looks directly at the viewer, while the other appears closed, creating a balance between attention and introspection. The nose is built with a rectangular outline, and the red lips add a point of intensity in the center of the composition.

The black hair forms large sculptural curves that wrap around the head and rise into an updo. A yellow arch partially appears among the hair, adding light and depth. The neck, divided between gray and black, connects the portrait to a base composed of turquoise, yellow, violet, and pink rings.

The setting combines an orange floor with walls in dark blue and light violet. On the left, a staircase leads to a large turquoise arch; on the right, a violet window, also arched, appears. A yellow circle suspended in the upper zone functions as a sun and reinforces the silent atmosphere of this imaginary world.

The contrast between the warm tones of the floor and the sun and the cool colors of the architecture creates a balanced and luminous composition. The precise black lines organize the forms and unite portrait, volume, and perspective within a neocubist, geometric, hard-edge, and surreal language.

Artwork data

* Original and unique work.
* Year: 2026.
* Technique: acrylic on canvas.
* Vertical format.
* The interior spaces shown in the mockups are for illustrative purposes only.

Shipping

The painting will be carefully protected and shipped rolled inside a sturdy tube, without a frame, to ensure safe transport. Once received, it can be easily mounted on a new stretcher at any specialized store.

Art Series: The Universe of the 1000 Faces

The Universe of the 1000 Faces was conceived as an expansion of the series The 1000 Faces. In this project, the characters no longer appear solely as portraits; they begin to exist within their own settings, formed by impossible architectures, open spaces, geometric structures, and imaginary landscapes.

Arches, staircases, windows, shadows, and platforms do not merely serve decorative purposes. They become extensions of the characters and represent their thoughts, memories, and interior spaces. The body can transform into sculpture, monument, building, or part of the landscape.

The series explores the boundary between portrait and setting, between what is visible and what is imagined. Each scene suggests a story without explaining it completely and invites the viewer to wonder who the character is, what the place they inhabit represents, and where their doors and paths lead.

All the works maintain the geometric and chromatic language of The 1000 Faces, but incorporate a more narrative, spatial, and surreal dimension. Each painting represents a different place, though all belong to a single visual universe in constant growth.

In Universe #5, the character occupies the center of an open architecture with different routes. The staircase and arches suggest the possibility of progress, while the two eyes represent a pause between observing the exterior and remaining within oneself.