While there are many amazing artists out there, it isn’t everyday we meet a child prodigy. Meet Sky de Leon, an 18-year-old child prodigy who believes that art is something to perfect. Art is his passion and serves as his inspiration in doing his best in every task.
Sky has been painting since he was merely six years old – and take note that he didn’t even have any professional guidance at the time. He merely taught himself art by voraciously reading art books until he started formal training at the age of 10. He was mentored by Fernando Sena in basic art and Philip Badon in contemporary art.
In 2016 and 2017, Sky attended the Florence Academy of Art Workshops on Figure Painting under famed Jura Bedic, the first Filipino minor to do so. In 2018, he did a spring workshop in Art’s League of New York under renowned artists Greg Kreutz and Harvey Dinnerstein.
For six years now, Sky has found his home in L’arc en Ciel Atelier, where he has blossomed and matured in art under curator Ms. Elaine Ongpin-Herbosa. He has had numerous shows all over Manila, as well, including three in ArtistSpace, Ayala Museum, Bellevue Hotel, Tagaytay Highlands, Art in the Park, ManilaArt 2015 and 2016, and solo exhibits in Bahay Tisnoy,
Eastwood Mall, and L’arc en Ciel Atelier. In 2016, he was awarded Best Promising Artist in Gawad Amerika, Los Angeles, USA.
Sky was feted “Artist of the Week” in TV5 and has been featured in various magazines, newspapers and blogs. His paintings are mostly oil on canvas and his signature works are still-lives and portraiture. He mixes the realist and impressionist styles.
His numerous gold-leafed “Madonna” paintings have been commissioned several times by art enthusiasts. In 2017, his Coca-Cola painting he did at 13 years old became part of “The Philippines Best: A Definitive Collection” (International edition), a coffee-table book by York-based publishing group Sorrell Publishing Company.
In 2018, his paintings graced the coffee-table book “Future Legends.” His paintings also grace the walls of many personal collectors with his commissioned portraits fetching six-digit figures.
Sky explains his work: “I try to find a balance between impressionism and realism in my work to express the bold colors and strokes that dominate my artwork. Each work is a unique representation of my inner self.” He ads: “My art now is the result of years of experimenting with media and styles, including the mistakes.” Oil is his medium of preference, though, due to its durability and rich hues compared to other media. “As Pollack once said, the painting has a life of its own, I try to let it come true. I believe in this saying.”
Sky is a consistent honor student, bagging “Best in Art” yearly since Grade 4 in La Salle Greenhills. He graduated “Top 20,” and got a Gold medal for Integrated Arts and a Gold medal for La Sallian Club Society. Presently, this “wonderboy” is taking up BS PreMed Physics in La Salle University. He is also member of DLSU Chorale. He plays tennis, and collects Egyptian artifacts and Venetian Masks.
