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

ABOUT THE WORK

From the 1970s to the 1980s, the Philippines was characterized by political unrest and a national struggle to survive. But Malang’s works focus on plants, landscapes, and mythic images of people’s daily lives, completely devoid of the agitation and turmoil experienced by the masses. Despite the new styles and methods of expression that emerged during these years, Malang continued with his signature style of creating his subjects using a variety of overlapping geometric forms and sizes. Color has always been a primary force in Philippine aesthetics. Malang was one of the master colorists who exhibited his proficiency in using a variety of tints and shades to manifest the Philippine landscape and everyday life. This burst of color is evident in this lot—a painting of flora, one of the artist’s identifiable subjects. Just like most of his works, Malang used a solid color for his background and added a variety of brush strokes and geometric shapes to create an image. From afar, this 1982 painting can look like a watercolor painting due to the artist’s choice of light palette. However, Plants was made with gouache; upon closer inspection, viewers can see its more solid and opaque quality. Consequently, the palette and style Malang used in this work made his subject stand out, and the entirety of it radiates a sense of serenity—the opposite of what the Filipinos felt during those dark times. (Jessica Magno)