Provenance: Acquired directly from the artist

ABOUT THE WORK

In his memorable works characterized by rough-hewn surface, respect for the material, and unconcealed welding points, Solomon Saprid was a true innovator and visionary in the field of sculpture, and whose reputation has lately been growing by leaps and bounds. The best of his artistry is epitomized by the “tikbalang” which, in the canon of Saprid, remains as the most iconic. Rather than standing up, which is the usual pose the figure assumes, here, the “tikbalang” (different from the centaur in that the head is that of a horse and the rest is that of a human) is sitting down as he inspects, with devoted curiosity, a flute. While the meaning of the flute is a mystery, the motive in which the “tikbalang” intends to use its power is papl able. In the dynamism of the sculptural form, Saprid manifests a myth in the three-dimensional world.