Blas has found his strongest expression in oil portraits and some still lifes, encompassing both modernism and classicism. He says he is inspired by classic and modern artists like Salvador Dalí and Andy Warhol, and he likes to mix old and new elements in his work. His still lifes include the requisite (but luminescent) blooming flowers and ripe fruits but add fixtures of daily modern life, such as phones and car keys, perhaps surrounding a nude body reminiscent of classic European art.

In his recent “Friends” collection, Blas's goal was to capture life's most intimate and personal moments.

“I try to find beauty in everyday moments — people don't pay attention to those moments because they're routine,” he says. “But I think once they are captured people can identify with them and appreciate their beauty as I do.”

After the Manifest Equality show, his work will appear at the Wells Laing Gallery in New York City and then in the fall at Blends in Los Angeles.

For more information on Blas, click here.

For more information on Manifest Equality, click here.

Check out samples of Blas's work over the following pages.