Stunning Art and Antiques to be Auctioned Online by Leon Gallery
Leòn Exchange Online Auction Edition XIV under the Leonexchange platform will
be held on January 18 and 19 (Saturday and Sunday) starting at 11AM. All
bidding will be purely online at www.leonexchange.com.
Highlight of the auction is Hernando R Ocampo’s “Skyward” boceto (1953), a
rare and stunning piece representative of the artist’s artistic peak. Considered
among the most original of Filipino masters whose works were uninfluenced by
Western art, Ocampo’s vividly bold abstractions are groundbreaking by
dynamically depicting Philippine landscapes and life forms in plain color palettes
in a stunning multiplication of cells and shapes.
Influenced by the resurgence of Futurism and inspired by the advent of the
Space Age in 1957, Ocampo’s dynamic study of the future’s lush and alien
terrain found its final version as a major work in oil on canvas in 1959, six years
after, as official entry to the 12 th exhibition of the Art Association of the
Philippines.
Sharing the center stage is a Mauro Malang Santos “Still Life”, which is unique
as it deviates from his usual stained-glass window bouquet of sharply
geometrical forms and genre scenes. This time, “light permeates from all sides,
there are no shadows, and the palette is much lighter.”
Yet, in the same signature Malang tradition, as Juan T Gatbonton, eminent
Filipino fictionist and journalist, describes the artists fascinating take on flowers:
“His personally imagined flora remains a carnival play of clotted petals and
leaves, fizzling out into minute jewel-like dabs of color.”
There are also a pair of Onib Olmedo’s “beautifully grotesque and
grotesquely beautiful” depictions of the denizens of the underbelly of Filipino
culture, which prove that art is not just about beauty but meaning. In 1992, he
became the first Filipino to win in the International Exposition de Paintres at
Cagnes-sur-Mer in France.
His nightmarish figurative-expressionist evocation of the dark realm of Philippine
society is the trademark by which his earthy, clayey art stands out from the
triumvirate he forms with Solomon Saprid and Ang Kiukok as founders of the
Filipino Expressionist movement.
In contrast to Olmedo’s dark forebodings is Prudencio Lamarroza’s
“Takipsilim”, a fairytale landscape of pure luminosity. Depicting a bagras, or
Philippine eucalyptus tree, with a sea of spotted Easter eggs is not only highly
sought after for its incandescence but also for echoing the tradition of drawing
with circles used by Nena Saguil and Pacita Abad.
A child prodigy who started painting at 7 years old, Lamarozza student theory
from Victorio Edades, composition from Diosdado Lorenzo, and Expressionism
from Angelito Antonio at the University of Santo Tomas.
Alongside these fabulous paintings are the exquisite “functional sculptures” by
Benji Reyes, who continues to impress collectors by pushing the limits of
hardwood’s malleability by avoiding nails in putting his wooden pieces together;
and, “Under the Viridian Sky” by Alfredo and Isabel Aquilizan, which “focus
on the greener side of art and ensures the formation of aesthetic ecology using
materials that serve as metaphor for everyday life.”
These one-of-a-kind masterpieces are offered alongside exquisite crystal and
silverware, chinoiserie, Filipino period furniture, fine bone China, coffee table
books, and rare photographs for an exciting online shopping experience.
“One can indulge his or her taste for the beautiful items at various price points at
the upcoming online auction and all that from one’s armchair or boudoir. The
online auction gives clients the convenience of bidding through their mobiles,
tablets or laptops, without having to trek all the way to where physical auctions
happen,” enthuses Leòn Gallery Director Jaime Ponce de Leon. “This
convenience makes online auctions at lower starting bids—but no less fabulous
pieces—trending.”
The exhibition will be open to the public starting Monday, 13 January, from 10AM
to 6PM, with Cocktails on Wednesday, 15 January, at 4PM.
Previews of these lots will be at Leòn Gallery in Warehouse 14 La Fuerza Plaza,
2241 Chino Roces Ave. and at the G/F Eurovilla 1 Legazpi corner Herrera St.,
Legazpi Village, Makati City.
It’s as simple as going to www.leonexchange.com and registering as a buyer.
Visit www.leon-gallery.com or contact info@leon-gallery.com or call 856-2781 for
more information.
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