Provenance: Provenance: Private Collection, Manila

ABOUT THE WORK

Instead of showing us a kind of glorified snapshot of an actual subject, Concepcion reveals its dramatic and psychological atmosphere through the abstract means of colors, brushwork and compositional arrangement. To view Florencio Concepcion’s abstract oil paintings is to be calmed in the spirit, even if in this work, there is a predominance of black. It’s like being transported to a secret garden, a hideaway in the countryside. Brilliant colors of red, green, blue, and yellow blend in a smooth flow in square canvases. The mood is soothing. The spirit, carefree yet quiet. In almost all his recent works exhibited at the Luz Gallery, the sun hovers as a vague, round circle in the center of his paintings. It is Concepcion’s tribute to life since, he affirms, “the sun is life.” Concepcion believes his paintings are like an autobiography, a product of his feelings and his creativity. If his paintings calm the viewer, it’s because Concepcion himself is a man at peace. “Life has been good to me,” he muses. “The mere fact that most of my dreams came true is proof enough.”