PROPERTY FROM THE ROBERTO T. VILLANUEVA COLLECTION

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

ABOUT THE WORK

The Earliest Orlina to Come to Auction by HANNAH VALIENTE Ramon Orlina’s 1977 Fantasie II echoes the characteristics of his early works. A pioneer in his craft, Orlina’s glass-cutting method varies from the usual hot-blowing technique – instead, his is a cold method, taking to a block of glass as a sculptor would a marble, minutely chipping away to create a vision in the fragile, easily breakable glass. The result is, for the start of his career, an oeuvre that boasts of sharp edges and cutting slopes. A master of incorporating light, shadows, and depth in his works, Orlina takes great inspiration from his childhood; growing up in Taal, Batangas opened his eyes up to the iridescence of the waters and the rocks, with artistry flowing in his blood as both his great-great-grandfather and his uncle are artists. Fantasie II features the sharp lines of his early works, and yet there are traces of the curves that would be featured in his later works. Just as the name suggests, Orlina mimics the fantastical elements of the unknown as he carves through the fragile glass with ease. Looking at Orlina’s works means taking into consideration the way the light filters through the translucent glass, the layers with which he incorporates in his piece. The fantasy of his works lies in the experience of it – one can never truly view an Orlina piece the exact same way another would. As one gazes at Fantasie II, they couldn’t help but wonder what are the others seeing, connecting the viewers and with Orlina himself, with each interpretation just as valid as the one that came before it.