This piece is accompanied by a certificate issued
by Alexander Richard Joya Baldovino confirming the
authenticity of this lot

ABOUT THE WORK

Jose Joya’s artistic practice spearheaded the development of Filipino abstraction beyond the confines of predominantly Western influences by combining traditional techniques with the vivacity of local aesthetics. Joya’s immutable penchant for color and calligraphic gestures helped define the local art scene for decades. Though he was formally trained in the classical and traditional styles akin to Amorsolo and Luna, Joya was eventually enamored by the revolutionary works of the abstractionists and the modernists. Thus, it is no surprise that critics, academics, and curators alike have often claimed that Joya sparked the birth and development of abstract expressionism in the Philippines. Despite his abstractionist inclinations, it is not unlike Joya to denote a clear connection between his works and the real world. In this piece titled Mandaue, Joya condenses the visual properties of the Visayan port city into uniquely abstract elements. Here, Joya’s painting is quite distinctive from his other works in terms of color sensibility and atmosphere. The work’s palette is richer and darker, evoking a relatively bolder and more striking presence than what is usually expected of him. This momentary departure from his artistic canon can be seen as Joya’s way of merging both the real and abstract in an act of symbiosis. The work succinctly showcases the phenomena of his chosen scenery—from the cool dark waters of the Mactan Channel to the ephemeral ruby glow of what appears to be the city’s skyline at dusk. Yet, it is by virtue of Joya’s artistry that what is captured in the canvas is not a mere recreation of the terrain, but a combination of both material and aesthetic experiences. Joya’s work is undoubtedly a reflection of the breadth, magnitude, and potential of art as it continually adapts, imagines, and changes the world.