This piece is accompanied by a certificate issued by Galerie Stephanie confirming the authenticity of this lot

Provenance: Provenance:
Private collection, Manila

ABOUT THE WORK

Although Michael Cacnio started professionally as a painter, he eventually found his artistic métier in the art of sculpting brass, initially exploring the native games of his childhood. A graduate of the University of the Philippines - College of Fine Arts, Cacnio was a recipient of the Ten Outstanding Young Men in 2006 and is internationally acclaimed as a world-class brass sculptor of the social realist genre, conducting solo exhibits in Asia, Europe, and the United States. In 2007, he became the first Filipino artist to have his works featured in the first solo exhibit in the European Commission headquarters in Barleymont, Brussels. Cacnio’s extensive body of work encapsulates Filipino traditions, customs, and contemporary realities. His oeuvre features an all-encompassing array of traditional Filipino figures such as this magtataho that comes complete with removable lids for the aluminum buckets – a reflection of his penchant for toy-like details in collectible action figures. His choice of brass serves as his homage to its long history as a medium in our traditional arts, one that can be considered as a heritage material. Brass emphasizes the meticulously carved details of his sculptures, leaving a refined and exquisite impression. The blank faces of his figures are no coincidence as their plainness forms a rapport with the audience, proving that there is familiarity in anonymity.