Provenance: Acquired directly from the artist

Exhibited: PROPERTY FROM THE LEILA BENI TEZ COLLECTI ON

ABOUT THE WORK

With an oeuvre that initially reflected Fernando Zóbel’s, Oscar Zalameda’s art evolved towards a spirited and buoyant form of cubism that reflected the style of Vicente Manansala, one of his professors at the University of Santo Tomas College of Fine Arts. Zalameda left the Philippines in 1953 to pursue further art studies abroad. In 1955, Zalameda finished studying mural techniques in Mexico and began his professional career as an artist. Stirred by the Hispanic allure of Mexico, as well as its charming countryside, Zalameda produced numerous paintings portraying various sceneries of the country he considered as his second home. By the mid 1950s up to the beginning of the 1960s, Zalameda’s cubism had become more conspicuous. However, this period also witnessed the artist venturing into bolder colors to render his genre scenes. Lines become transparent elements of color that define the figures. In this piece depicting a Mexican market scene, Zalameda exhibits his trademark cubist style. The subjects still resemble representational figures, but visual likeness is not the primary concern of Zalameda’s art. With his vividly colored composition, Zalameda unravels a personal abstract style that has not entirely relinquished the concept of representational imagery. The juxtaposition of bold colors transforms the figures into abstract patterns. The figures converge to generate a harmonious relationship between abstraction and color, as exemplified in this straightforward yet vibrant depiction of a local marketplace