Italian master of figurative art has first solo exhibition here

Luciano Ventrone's images of fruits, nuts, flowers, sea-scapes and nudes may look like posters, but they are, in fact, painstakingly crafted hyper-realist oils on canvases.

Brought in by Italian gallery Partners & Mucciaccia at Gillman Barracks, the works by the Italian painter - widely regarded as a master of figurative art - were last seen in Rome's museum, Musei di Villa Torlonia. This makes this a rare exhibition as a museum show does not often travel to a private gallery.

This is his first solo exhibition in South-east Asia. A third of the 54 works were sold even before the show opened early this month. It runs until June 9.

In town for the opening, the chatty 76-year-old artist tells Life! that while his paintings may look real, he considers them abstract.