Marco Polo is a sculptor from Ecuador who has made Oman his home for many years. He sculpts figures and abstract works from stone, marble, fiberglass and terracotta. Polo finds Omani marble particularly suited to his work and draws inspiration from Oman's natural beauty. Polo sees the sculpture inside the stone and brings it to life through his carvings. Many of his critically acclaimed works are in collections around the world.

1. Seeing art
Marco Polo, the sculptor, gives
rock
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Art
February 11, 2016

2. inside a
life to stones
Marco’s works consists of
different medium ranging from
steel to fiberglass and terracotta
but stone has remained best suited
for his work. This according to Marco
is because the stone has its ‘life and
energy.’ He can feel its energy and
see the sculpture inside the piece
of stone.’

3. Liju Cherian
A
SCULPTOR from Ecuador has made Oman
his second home for a while now. He
works quietly among figurative and abstract
sculptures made out of stone, marble, fiber
glass and terracotta and gives life to it.
A natural artist Marco Marcelo Polo Villalva (Marco
Polo for short) has been designing and sculpting for
over 30 years.
In 2009, he visited Muscat through a friend and
found Oman the best place to give vent to his ideas
as a sculptor, and has since made Oman his home
and the best place to practice his skills.
He sources the best marble and gets inspiration
from the natural beauty which the Sultanate has to
offer in plenty. Marco admits from experience that
most of the sculptures are inspired by the strength
and beauty of a lady. He has exhibited internationally
and his critically acclaimed sculptures are in
numerous private collections spread over the Middle
East, Europe, Latin America and United States.
Marco the sculptor sees art inside a rock. As
part of his work, he visualizes a model in mind and
makes a sketch and models small pieces in clay
using marble and natural stone. Marco doesn’t just
sculpt stones; he uses them to express himself
and he discovers life inside them. He specially loves
Omani marble which is available in plenty in the
Wilayats of Sohar and Suwaiq working on a theme
for about five to six days.
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4. Marco’s works consists of
different medium ranging from
steel to fiberglass and terracotta
but stone has remained best
suited for his work. This according
to Marco is because ‘stone has
its life and energy. He can feel
its energy and see the sculpture
inside the piece of stone.’ Marco’s
sculptures vary in scale from
small work to life size or larger
compositions.
Marco through his work is on
the lookout for what is neither
real nor the unreal but the
subconscious and the mystery of
what is instinctive in the human
race. These striking sculptures
provide the viewer as a receiver,
in different impressions which
can be interpreted in various ways
according to the receiver’s own
thoughts.
Murtadha al Lawati, Museum
Manager, Ghalya’s Museum of
Modern Art, who coordinates his
work says, Marco is a natural artist
and comes out with works which
have beautiful value. “His pieces
are chosen by those who know
contemporary art and are unqiue
pieces.”
Marcos had his education
from the Central University of
Ecuador, Arts Faculty Degree in
Sculpture and Drawing for 3 years
from 1977-81 taking a degree in
sculpture and drawing with design
and sculpture. He pursued his
work practically in Quito at the
Ecuador College of Arts. Not
quite content here he got a break
when he went to work in London
for five years which provided him
with a chance for solo exhibitions.
“I like human bodies and the
work related to people and their
relationship and emotions,” he
says.
Some of Marco’s pieces of
work are conveniently titled ‘On
the Beach,’ where a perfectly
Marco Marcelo Polo Villalva
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5. tanned piece of marble portrays
a relaxing lady on the beach, ‘The
Embrace’ wherein the marble
sculpture shows the beautiful
bond between a couple in love.
The name Marco ‘perfectly suits
the sculpture’, he says. ‘United
Foreever,’ is another of his work
where the sculpture is a depiction
of two lives and hearts joined
together in friendship and united
forever.
In ‘Memories’ his marble work
describes about the memories of
life moved in the other direction
while ‘Arms Folded’ is the sculpted
piece that shows its own identity
and meaning.
Marco has held group exhibition
at around 28 different cities in
Ecuador and the rest of the
world. Since 2012, he has taken
an active part at the Ghalyas
Museum of Modern Art Muscat
since 2012. He has exhibited at
Dexa Gallery, Panama University,
Panama 1986 cultural Home of
Narino, Colombia 1988 Cervantes
Institute (Spanish Cultural Centre
in conjunction with the Embassy
of Ecuador). London 2004.
Among the host of awards
he received are from Quito, his
home town. The Department of
Education and Popular Culture
from the local Municipality, gave
him a second Honourable
Mention in 1985 and 1986. Not to
mention the Central University of
Ecuador Arts Faculty Diploma in
1986 and the Municipality of Quito
Department of Education and
Popular Culture.
Added to this is the Diploma in
1992 and the Excelencia Latina
2005 London Medal by the
Ecuadorian Residents awarded
him the Marco admits that all
his sculptures are his best work
and he does not point out to a
particular one as such.
There is a great friendship and
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6. bond between Marco and Omani marble with which
he works. It took him quite a long time to find this
marble piece. As an artist he feels a strong relation
between both. He has used Omani marble in most
of his works.
Over the years, he has been impressed by the
scenic beauty around Muscat as he says the city
itself presents him as a sculptor due to its nature,
mountains and the sharp curves of the cliffs which
inspires him no end.
Marco’s work consists of different medium
ranging from steel to fiber glass and terracotta
but stone has remained best suited for his work.
This according to him is because “stone has its life,
energy and he can see the sculpture inside the
piece of stone. Marco's sculptures vary in scale
from small work to life size or larger compositions.
He is bent on working on many new projects
and as an artist is inspired by everything beautiful.
Ghalya’s Museum has been continuously supporting
his art. He says the museum values good quality of
his work and Oman has excellent art movement and
hopes it shapes up towards a better stage in future.
‘Failure is a stepping stone to success and I picked
up the stone,’ he says satisfied at the outlook of his
life as a sculptor.
Marco through his work searches for
what is neither real nor the unreal but
the subconscious and the mystery
of what is instinctive in the human
race. These striking sculptures provide
different impressions which can be
interpreted in various ways according
to the receiver’s own thoughts.
27February 11, 2016
Art