Provenance: Private Collection, Manila

Literature: Torres, Nicole Chan, Nadia and the Blue Stars, CANVAS, Quezon City, 2012, p. 12 (illustrated)

ABOUT THE WORK

Liv Vinluan, an Ateneo Art Award nominee, was commissioned by the Center for Art, New Ventures And Sustainable Development (CANVAS) to illustrate their children's book that year 'Nadia and the Blue Stars', a story by Nicole Chan Torres of a young girl's life, death and rebirth with her beautiful garden tucked in a hidden village as metaphor. This particular painting takes place as a 12th scene when the villagers went back to their homes after a night of heavy bombing: 'Just before dawn, the bombing stopped and all was quiet. Slowly, the villagers made their way back. They walked through the ruins in silence. Finally they reached the elds. The poppies were ashes, the dog-roses cinders, the lilies and sun flowers burnt to a crisp. And worst of all...' This painting shows Liv Vinluan's distinct visual style: dark and gray hues with elements of the real and the surreal reminiscent of 'Sin Verguenzas', her monumental undergraduate triptych that won her the Dominador Castañeda Award for Best Thesis while attending Fine Arts College in the University of the Philippines were she graduated cum laude. This work affirms Liv Vinluan as one of the most gifted and talented artists of her generation.