Provenance: Finale Auctions, Fine Art, Makati City, 18 May 2019, Lot 58. Romulo Olazo © Romuloolazo.com

ABOUT THE WORK

Olazo’s Longest-Sustained Series Diaphanous as his Legacy - Apainter and printmaker, Romulo Olazo continued to grace the Philippine art scene with his resplendent masterpieces, especially his highly acclaimed and most coveted Diaphanous series. Painted in the hoariness of his late age of 79, Diaphanous Anthuriums #152 (CAT # 25390) belongs to this illustrious collection and is a potent testament to his unbending artistry and ceaseless artmaking. Olazo’s ingenuity and skilled craftsmanship are evident in his many paintings of fine transparent screens in overlapping layers that result in airy, translucent compositions. The Diaphanous series, crafted with his delicate brushwork, evokes a fleeting sensation and a deep emotional response from his monochromatic palette, thus perfectly embodying the Japanese philosophical concept of “mono no aware”— beauty in transience. Indeed, this 2013 oil on canvas piece impeccably demonstrates Olazo’s consistency and profound understanding of light and space, inviting a heartfelt connection with the viewers. Perhaps age is but a number to the artist, for he kept on making sublime artworks that would be his legacy in his lifetime and beyond. In November 2014, Olazo mounted his last one-man show with a single painting titled Diaphanous B-CCXXXV, the largest in his diaphanous collection, measuring 80 x 240 inches. (Jessica Magno)