Contemporary painter Henry Asencio has emerged as one of the most intriguing artists working today. His work blends the classical ideals of figurative painting with a uniquely modern style. As he explains, "Painting for me is very cathartic and is the most articulate way for me to express my passion and internal dialogues." Merging introspection and visual spectacle, Asencio's personal investigations of femininity, spirituality and abstraction possess the power to transform today's ideals of elegance and sensuality. "Abstract expressionism" or "abstract realism," Asencio's work cannot be categorized by style or semantics. His open brushwork, sweeping color, use of texture and precise drawing skills have resulted in a body of work that has earned him international accolades.Although he earned a living as a portrait artist early in his career, today Asencio is "more concerned with creating a mood and pushing the aesthetic opposed to replicating a scene, I want people to feel what I am doing - not just see what I am painting." The artist refers to the current content of his work as "sublime figures with aggressive application." He claims to be "naturally drawn to paint the human figure for its timeless sensitivity" and he adds, "nothing inspires me more intensely than the female form." Noted for the sensual vitality of his work, Asencio endeavors to "extract the essence of a mood and create work that is striking and simple yet sustains its integrity through the subtleties." In the end, it is the impulsive approach to his art that compels the viewer and evokes emotion. Using life as a vehicle to produce art, Asencio's work translates an impulse into his own reality on canvas and other surfaces. He has recently begun to paint on board, as the surface is more resilient to his aggressive paint style. The artist prefers to work in oil and he frequently works with live models or photographs. He will begin a painting with a gesture drawing and then begin to mix color and apply the paint according to his temperament. Asencio applies the thick paint with a palette knife thereby transforming a traditional painting into one possessing his "cutting edge signature style." A native of California, today the artist lives and works near San José, California.