Accompanied by a certificate signed by the artist confirming the authenticity of this lot

Provenance: Acquired directly from the artist

Literature: Arcellana, Francisco. Joya. Manila: Dick Baldovino Enterprises, 1996. Full-color photograph. Listed as "The Twelfth Night, January 6, 1992" in Joya's Catalogue of Works compiled by Ruben D.F. Defeo.

ABOUT THE WORK

J ose Joya imparts a reverent message in The Twelfth Night. As with his oeuvres that depict fiestas and festivals, the lot at hand was named with the intent to allude to the Epiphany of the Lord. The Christian feast day commemorates the events from the birth of Christ Child and the visit of the Magi, Jesus’ baptism administered by John the Baptist, to the miracle at the wedding in Cana. In the Philippines, it is known as “Three Kings’ Day” and Pasko ng Matatanda or “Feast of the Elderly.” The feast day marks the end of the country’s Christmas season. However, the artist portrayed in this painting not the feast day in particular but the night prior to it – the eve of Epiphany, also called the Twelfth Night. In some churches, the celebration mostly centers on the visitation of the Magi. The Magi are believed to represent the non-Jewish peoples of the world, and thus it is also observed as Christ’s corporeal manifestation to the Gentiles. Epiphany, from the word epiphainen, means “manifestation.” As such, this Joya abstraction, in a way, solemnly invites its audience to remember the time that Christ has made Himself known to the world. The traditional date for the Epiphany of the Lord is the 6th of January, and the aptly titled acrylic & collage piece is as well dated on the same day in 1992. (Isabella Romarate)