Provenance: Private Collection, Manila

ABOUT THE WORK

Best known for recreating highly familiar images popularized by National Artist Fernando Amorsolo and other prominent old Filipino master artists, Ronson Culibrina adds perspective to idealized settings and sceneries by adding elements from pop culture. This results into a socio-political take on the cultivation of the traditional idealized depictions of life in the countryside. In this particular work, the contemporary artist utilized American pop artist Robert Indiana’s style of stacking letters in red to spell words such as “love” and “hope.” Here, Culibrina takes on a contemporary perspective on the familiar romanticized image of agrarian life—of peasants working in a picturesque rice field. Some of the themes taken upon by Culibrina in his engaging works range from cross-cultural influences, globalization to art history and art market. His artistic evolution also showcases how he bridged classical Filipino paintings with the contemporary, producing informed works celebrated by critics and coveted by various collectors.