Accompanied by a certificate issued by Maria Amihan Abueva, daughter of the artist, confirming the authenticity of this lot

ABOUT THE WORK

The Father of Modern Sculpture and one of the important figures in Philippine art history, Boholborn Napoleon Abueva is the youngest recipient to become a National Artist, at the age of 46. Critic Cid Reyes called him “the sole Filipino vanguard for modern sculpture.” Mentored by National Artist Guillermo Tolentino, his early works were in the classical style. Later on, he went on to creating modern sculptures using various materials such as wood, stone, steel, brass, and marble. This 1973 sculpture, Abstract Forms, showcases Abueva’s versatility as a sculptor. Adept in both representational and abstract styles, he manipulates his chosen medium, steel, to combine abstract shapes into an engaging composition. An industrial medium is utilized with his sense of form, playfulness, and inventiveness. A dean of the UP College of Fine Arts, Abueva paved the way for generations of artists in the local sculpture scene with his fine-tuned techniques, sense of material, and his own innovative approach to the art form. Several of his sculptures at the Diliman campus nuclide the Magdangal and Nine Muses at the College of Arts and Letters, the UP Gateway, and the crucifix and altar base at the Church of the Risen Lord.