levenof the 12 Filipino paintings which were included in the
recently held Masterpiece Auction at the Sheraton Towers in
Singapore last March 2 were successfully sold at auction. The 12
paintings were among those chosen from hundreds of artists from
all over Southeast Asia. 217 lots from among the top artists
coming from China, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand
and Singapore comprised the auction.
Winner Jumalon’s untitled oil on canvas
raised a final price of S$ 24,000 while Ian Abrogar Quirante’s
piece sold at S$13,800. Also included were two oil on canvas
works by Lydia Velasco titled Neighborliness (S$ 8,840) and
Balinese Women (S$ 7,600). Dominic Rubio’s major oil on canvas
work from his Old Manila series titled Old Manila: Binondo
Church (S$ 5,700), Aileen Lanuza’s contemporary self-portrait
titled On Top of the World (S$ 5,100), Jerry Morada’s
Heartshaped (S$ 4,300), Vincent de Pio’s Cellist (S$ 4,800) and
Manny Garibay’s Thinking Man (S$ 3,000) also fared well.
Included as well were works by artists Amy Aragon (S$ 4,800) and
Oscar Salita (S$ 2,800).
Masterpiece is one of the largest auction
houses in Indonesia. Founded five years ago, it runs over 12
auctions a year in Indonesia. This year, the company decided to
open in the Singapore art market bringing with it the company’s
successful experience in conducting auctions for the different
sectors of the art market.
Winner Jumalon is a product of the UP Diliman
College of Fine Arts. He is a award winner in many art
competitions including the Philip Morris ASEAN Art Competition,
the 35
th
National Shell Art Competition and many others. Ian Abrogar
Quirante is also a graduate of the UP Diliman College of Fine
Arts. He held his solo exhibition Only in Dreams in 2007 and has
participated in several group exhibitions.
Lydia Velasco, 65, is the leader of the Kulay
Marikina Group of Artists and is a senior member of the Saturday
Group of Artists and is currently one of the most celebrated
painters of women. Her women are individuals both bold and
sensual, exuding inner beauty and confidence characterized by
long limbs and seductive smiles.
As an artist, Dominic Rubio explores large
themes of history and identity encapsulated in serene everyday
themes. Inspired by men and women at the turn of the 19
th
century, he portrays them as the quintessential symbols of
innocence and naïveté at a time of great socio-political change.
Vincent de Pio, son of portraitist Gig de Pio,
honed his brushstrokes at UP. Among the many interests that have
been explored by de Pio’s highly expressionist style are his
love for classical music and the performing arts. Jerry Morada,
a product of the UP College of Fine Arts, is among the country’s
most innovative and experimental young artists, often portraying
traditional figures in a timeless dimension and
thought-provoking circumstances. His most recent collection,
featuring women, often in pairs and in contrasting or
complementary moods is particularly riveting.
Aileen Lanuza has, at a very young age, established herself
as highly skilled in the genre of photographic realism with
women as a constant subject. Her uncanny ability to capture
intricate detail and subtle facial expressions has won her high
praise. While her earlier works focused on more traditional
Filipino subjects, Lanuza is now exploring a quirky, more
imaginative style while consistently displaying remarkable
control and mastery over her material.
