Provenance: : Galleria Duemila, Inc.

ABOUT THE WORK

Like his brother Soler, Steve Santos followed in the footsteps of his father and celebrated painter, Mauro Malang Santos. As the son of a renowned artist, he was exposed to the thriving Philippine art landscape at a tender age. Santos found himself in the company of other acclaimed artists, many of whom were his father's closest friends. This circle included Vicente Manansala, Ang Kiukok, Hugo Yonzon, Jr., and his godfather Larry Alcala. In 1974, he held his first solo exhibition at the Luz Gallery. The show was sponsored by his mentor, Roberto Chabet, who was greatly impressed by his work in tempera. During this period, Santos' works mainly consisted of panoramic landscapes. His oeuvre also showcased traces of social realism influenced by American realist painter Andrew Wyeth. In 1976, Santos shifted towards another theme, portraying ordinary domestic subjects, such as flops and plugs. He then conceived his City Series, depicting cityscapes that are generally rendered in monochrome. With this series, Santos veered his creative focus towards street signs, such as billboards, neon signs, and architectural features in congested metropolitan areas.