Accompanied by a certificate issued by Josefa Joya Baldovino confirming the authenticity of this lot

Provenance: Provenance: Private Collection, Manila

ABOUT THE WORK

In this 1976 painting by National Artist Jose Joya, the master abstractionist’s engaging gestural strokes and penchant for color are exhibited. His signature shapes, a combination of calligraphic and spontaneous brushwork, and play of vibrant colors and lines reveal a transcendence from form. A revered professor and dean of the UP College of Fine Arts, Joya was a key member of its faculty who revamped the program’s curriculum during the sixties. His redefinition of the possibilities of artistic expression in his celebrated abstract masterpieces influenced generations of younger artists, paving the way for succeeding modernists in the country. Beyond Western influences in his craft, his local aesthetics as a force in the Modernist movement in the country show through his color palette and Filipino sensibilities. In this particular abstract piece by Jose Joya, one can immediately sense the vivacity and liveliness of the work through Joya’s use of color and form. Here, Joya’s elements are relatively much more pronounced, letting us view a seemingly unrepresented side of the master abstractionist’s creative mind and process. Yet despite the work’s off-kilter treatment, Joya still maintains his signature abstract style. His rotund shapes and forms are imbued with a sense of transparency that not only gives the piece a sense of ethereality, but also suffuses a feeling of movement that complements the piece’s sublime coherency. The intangible and undulating elements of Joya’s work reflects his timeless ideals that show the indescribable allure of abstraction as a medium.