PROPERTY FROM THE DON EUGENIO LOPEZ JR. COLLECTION

Accompanied by a certificate signed by the artist
confirming the authenticity of this lot

ABOUT THE WORK

Recurring themes in Ramon Orlina's plethora of sculptural magnificence were mainly derived from pivotal moments in his life and career. Familial relationships have long been wellsprings of artistic expressiveness, and Orlina is no stranger to this creative tradition. Thus, Orlina transforms the art form of the nude into a celebration of familial values through his Ning-Ning series. Orlina's artistic preoccupation with the female bosom was catalyzed by the birth of his second daughter, Ningning, in 1989. In particular, the female breast is revered for its pivotal role in the infant's sustenance and development. Ningning's prolonged breastfeeding, which lasted for two years, made Orlina reflect not only on its life-sustaining capacity but also on the essence of the maternal bond that emanates from it. As such, Orlina immortalizes motherhood, celebrating its triumphs and acknowledging the pains that come with it. Orlina has also taken inspiration from the works of the British sculptor Henry Moore, who is his foremost influence. His influence on Orlina's art is primarily seen in the latter's sculptures of the female form. Here, Moore's practice of homage to the human figure and other biomorphic forms is discerned. While Moore's art traversed the realm of abstraction, Orlina opted for a balance between the abstract and the figurative, hence the more realistic approach to the human form. In a 2016 Inquirer article, Cid Reyes celebrates the genius of Orlina's rendition of the female figure. He wrote: "Thus, for instance, the female figure the sculptor brings to a full flowering via a more realistic rendition that delineates the contour of the female breasts and buttocks. But the feminine form itself can proceed without any overt reference to the female body. A master of the curvilinear form, Orlina can articulate the female form by the mere virtue of a series of sleek undulating lines, with all the eroticism sublimated within the energy and fluidity of the line." Rod. Paras-Perez lauded the formal and symbolic qualities of Orlina's Ning-Ning, writing that it "...attains a highly intimate yet universal human dimension in its celebration of motherhood." Eroticism is not conveyed in Orlina's sculpture of the female breast. Art critic Eric Torres wrote: "The female breast Orlina exhorts is no mere object of voyeuristic prurience. "Idealized" describes what Ningning is about: a hymn to every woman generously endowed by nature. It is also a salute to the curve and the sphere as with an eye to perfection of form and finish. Orlina goes beyond the sensuous in the metaphysical. (A.M.)