SANTA MONICA, CA.- The female nude is the recurring subject of John Asaro’s most recent artistic production, “Bella Donna,” an exhibit of 60 figurative oil paintings on canvas that celebrates the acclaimed painter’s emergence from three decades of depression. Rendered in a contemporary style suffused with brightness and clarity, Asaro’s nudes are studies of form, light, shadow, texture, and mood. The artist has wielded confident, evident brushstrokes to sculpt female forms—alone, in pairs, or in groups—that pop from minimalist backgrounds of single-hued negative space to evoke the beauty of movement as well as moments of repose. John Asaro’s “Bella Donna” will run from March 14 to March 24, 2009 at Bergamot Station, Gallery C-1, located at 2525 Michigan Avenue in Santa Monica.

The opening reception for “Bella Donna” will take place Saturday, March 14, 2009 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. A portion of the proceeds garnered from both the paintings that comprise “Bella Donna” and catalog sales throughout the show will support scholarships for fine art students enrolled at Asaro’s alma mater, Art Center College of Design.

The exhibition will continue through March 24, 2009, and gallery hours following the opening reception are Tuesday through Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.