Papa Wojtyła back in Vatican with Tomasz Rut

The art of Tomasz Rut, recently included in the Vatican Collection and blessed by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, continues to expand the realm of contemporary figurative painting to the limits achieved only by the greatest art masters in history.

Painted earlier this year to commemorate the beatification of John Paul II, the two originals on canvas: "Nolite Timere" and "Be Not Afraid" pay tribute to the beloved late Pope and depict John Paul II as the Saint and as the charismatic leader of the world accompanied by another legendary figure behind the political changes of the twentieth century, the first President of democratic Poland, Lech Walesa.

Be Not Afraid | Tomasz Rut, 1961

Tomasz Rut in the Vatican Collection

On wednesday, October 12.2011, during Tomasz Rut's audience with His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI , attended by thousands of spectators from around the world at the St. Peter's square in the Vatican, two large paintings by Tomasz Rut became part of the collection at St. Peter's cathedral after being blessed by the Holy Father.

Mark Keller ~ Figurative painter

Mark Keller, American painter, is a self-taught artist from San Francisco who provokes the imagination with masterful subtlety and grace. Multi-award winning with widespread International acclaim, Mark’s work is about telling stories - intrigue for the audience to unfold.
The depth and superb execution of his work, full of cryptic clues and mystery, has established him as one of the world’s leading artists. From Buenos Aires tango bars to New York street musicians he evokes audible and visual emotions like few others.

Renso Castaneda, 1970 | Figurative painter

Renso Zevallos Castaneda, Peruvian painter, was born in Lima. Graduateded of the National School autonomous superior of Beautiful Arts of Peru in the specialty of Painting of 1989-95.

- "I started to paint a long time ago, I don not remember exactly when, what I remember is always there were paintings in my home.. why?

My mother is an artist like my father, my uncle, my aunt… unfortunately not too much people knows about them, well it was impossible to choose another thing to do, I always enjoyed make copies from famous artists and now I like to do realistic paintings to imitate the texture of the skin, the shadows, the lights. I feel a great satisfaction when I finish a painting besides it is not a easy work to do".

Juan Medina, 1950 | Hyperrealist / Surrealist painter

Mexican painter Juan Medina was born in Mexico City. In the beginning it was shape, then came light, afterwards color and finally texture; as in the architectonic creation, the genesis of Juan Medina’s pictorial work rests on a solid structure of techniques and concepts that weave in plastic dimensions his memories made of oil and canvas.
With time, the step from watercolor to oil was the resource that allowed him to approach with mastery the conscience of time encrusted in stone, wood, mirrors and all model object that transfers Renaissance rhetoric without moralizing it.

Mark Keller, 1955 | Storyteller painter

Mark Keller is a self-taught artist from San Francisco who provokes the imagination with masterful subtlety and grace. Multi-award winning** with widespread International acclaim, Mark’s work is about telling stories - intrigue for the audience to unfold.

Joey Havlock, 1967 ~ Abstract Surrealist painter

Born in Manassas, Joey Havlock, American Abstract /Surrealism painter, experienced a childhood that provided an optimal environment for the later development of his artistic expression. The sphere of creative and character diversity to which he was exposed has inspired many of his individual works as well as series such as his Liquid Geometry and the Master Minds.

Daniel Gerhartz, 1965 | Impressionist painter

Born in Kewaskum, Wisconsin, where he now lives with his wife Jennifer and their young children, Daniel F. Gerhartz's interest in art emerged as a teenager.

Studies at the American Academy of Art in Chicago, Illinois and his voracious appetite for museums and the modern masters such as John Singer Sargent, Alphonse Mucha, Nicolai Fechin, Joaquin Sorolla, Carl von Marr as well as a host of other French and American impressionists have inspired him.