Accompanied by a certificate issued by West Gallery confirming the authenticity of this lot

Provenance: Private Collection, Manila

ABOUT THE WORK

When Mauro Malang Santos was just ten years old, he began receiving informal painting lessons from the classical realist painter Teodoro Buenaventura. Although he left the UP College of Fine Arts after just one semester, he continued to deepen his love and devotion for art. His artistic style and methods were shaped by his visits to museums in Japan, the United States, and Europe. He was part of the group of artists in his time who imbibed inspiration from folk art and whose works are distinguishable by geometric shapes, decorative forms, and festive colors. Some of his paintings are simplified figures of seated women, usually market vendors or mothers. Interestingly, Mauro Malang Santos used his mother’s maiden name to sign his works; hence, he became commonly known as Malang. The lot on hand features three mothers and three daughters; hence, the title is Magiina. He has done other works featuring a mother and child. To name a few, he made various oil on canvas works in 1980,1986 and 1994. He also worked with a mother and two kids in 1997. His numerous portrayals of a mother and child suggest that he understood that depicting motherhood evokes shared feelings of affection amongst Filipinos. What makes Magiina stand out is Malang's idea of featuring four generations of female figures with their children. Moreover, the word English translation, “mothers with their children,” does not encapsulate the same warm, profound feeling of the Filipino maternal bond when we hear the word Magiina. Indeed, Malang made warm-toned tints of pink, orange, and violet. etc, as the background for his three mothers and three children. These colors help evoke tenderness. A charming detail is how the three mothers have a little bun of hair on the top of their heads. The baby bundled in green fabric stands out against the white garments of her brown-haired kin — who may be the second set of mother and daughter. The black-haired woman in her pink and orange accented dress may be the eldest of them all; hence, she is the pinnacle of the triangle formed by the women. Overall, this lot exemplifies the whimsical side of Malang and his profound maternal appreciation. (Raphaela Cordero)