In the beginning of his career, Jose Joya proved his mettle as a figurative artist before transitioning to his brand of abstraction that would eventually establish and burnish his reputation. This mixed media on paper work captures both his expressionistic abstract streak as well as his figurative temperament, as expressed by the sweet expression of a young girl. A swirl with gestural strokes in rich reds, vibrating whites, and gravity-inducing blacks, the figure maintains a stable vertical axis as she lookouts into the putative space of the viewer. It’s a rare work of subtle grandeur by the National Artist who, in this work, proves that the most expressive of abstractions relies on the most vigorous of figurations.
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Jose Joya (1931-1995)
Woman's Head
signed (lower right) dated 1956 (verso)
mixed media on paper
10” x 7” (25 cm x 18 cm)
SOLD: PHP 420,480
This piece is accompanied by a certificate issued by Mrs. Josefa Joya-Baldovino confirming the authenticity of this lot
Provenance: Provenance: Philippine Art Gallery
Exhibited: Exhibited: Philippine Art Gallery (PAG), July 7 - 17, 1956, Manila