Provenance: Private Collection, Manila

ABOUT THE WORK

Romeo Tabuena’s stylistic evolution has produced an eclectic collection of various plays on the ideologies of cubism. Known for his creative and unique experimentation with cubist elements, we have time and again been treated to brilliant displays of Tabuena’s art — a culmination of his experiences, meld with his inclinations and artistic leanings. Tabuena’s fondness with the cultural idylls of both the Philippines and Mexico has allowed him to devise a distinctive quality to his work. The cubist maestro’s use of such close-to-home themes has evolved over the years, and despite the many advancements in his style, has retained that unmistakable Tabuena flair. In this very work by the highly esteemed modernist, we are treated to a stylized rendition of a man with his fighting-cock. A handler, peddler, or by-stander of sorts, the subject bears with him a cultural undertone — one of the idyllic, akin to that of home for Tabuena (be it referring to Mexico or the Philippines).