PROPERTY FROM THE PRISCILLA L. CHIONGBIAN COLLECTION

León Gallery wishes to thank the West Gallery for confirming the authenticity of this lot

Provenance: Museum of Philippine Art

ABOUT THE WORK

The Women of Malang Embodying the Native Essence An exhibition held by the Museum of Philippine Art in 1981 showcased Mauro Malang Santos’s 25-year history and legacy in the art scene. This event highlighted Malang’s evolution and development as an artist, from a former cartoonist to one of the most celebrated painters of his time. Malang’s art is distinguished by his fearless use of color, which sets him apart as a professional colorist. His figures, brought to life by his skillful use of contrasting and varying colors, stand out as a testament to his proficiency. His belief in perfecting one image before moving on is evident in his works, where a recurring image of a woman with oversized, ovoid-shaped sleeves and craned and giraffelike necks is featured. ABOVE: Malang in his studio © Instagram, Malang Santos Archives Malang’s mastery of his female images is seen in this lot, which consists of three 1977 paintings of women: a.) Woman Kneeling, b.) an untitled work, and c.) The Green Sleeves. All three were done with tempera, a medium of the artist’s expertise, and with the same composition: geometric shapes filled with solid colors and blue for the background. Also noticeable is his portrayal of Filipino women by dressing his figures in traditional Filipino clothing–Filipiniana–with huge sleeves, manifesting culture and tradition. Another thing about him is that his works don’t require a lot of thinking and seeking for meaning. He does his paintings to be interpreted literally—what you see is what you get—just like these paintings on hand. (Jessica Magno)