Beyond What The Eyes Can See

Lay’s and Doritos will celebrate artist Theo Ponchaveli and his work at The Janette Kennedy Gallery at South Side on Lamar. Guests will enjoy acoustic guitar, refreshments by Pepsi, Buffalo Trace Whiskey cocktails, hors d’oeuvres by The Cedars Social, and complimentary valet parking. Admission is FREE to the public.

Theo Ponchaveli is a self- taught painter and visionary who found his passion for oil painting on canvas just five years prior to entering the art competition hosted by the Lay’s & Doritos brands and benefitting The United Negro College Fund. Artists from across the nation submitted artwork, and the contest website logged more than 50,000 votes. At the end of the competition, Theo Ponchaveli was declared the Grand Prize Winner and Lay’s & Doritos donated $35,000 to UNCF. This exhibit will embody icons from history, art, old Hollywood, music and people who have exemplified Theo’s life motto of “By Any Means Necessary.”

Who Is Ponchaveli?

Theo Ponchaveli is a self-taught artist and visionary who began oil painting in 2006, without any formal training. His unique ability to portray iconic celebrities and every day people has captured viewers with an unspoken depth. In 2011, Lay's and Doritos brands hosted a national art contest in which over 300 artist submitted work and, after more than 50,000 votes, Ponchaveli was declared the grand prize winner.

Iconic inspirations include Selena, Tupac, John Lennon, Michael Jackson, Miley Cyrus, John Wayne, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Lil Wayne, President Barack Obama, Babe Ruth, Marilyn Monroe, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, Super Man, Michael Jordan, Willie Nelson and Bob Marley.

Born a "lefty", Ponchaveli was forced to become right-handed due to an incident when he was a teenager, which caused a semi-paralyzed left hand. His works are not only a visual testimony to his iconic subjects but also his own personal trials, tribulations and redemption in life. Ponchaveli is more than an artist - he feels divinely blessed, and his life manifests these blessings everyday with his passion and innate ability to relate to people, which inspires the world around him.