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

Provenance: Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner

Literature: Arcellana, Francisco. Joya. Manila: Dick Baldovino Enterprises, 1996. Full-color photograph. Listed as "Pahiyas, April 19, 1993" in Joya's Catalogue of Works compiled by Ruben D.F. Defeo.

ABOUT THE WORK

THE FIERY COLORS OF SUMMER Joya Captures the Pahiyas Fiesta Jose Joya’s lyrical Pahiyas is a visual spectacle that authentically captures the radiant reds and the jubilant atmosphere of the famed Pahiyas Festival in the farming town of Lucban, Quezon Province’s “Art Capital” and “Rice Capital.” Celebrated annually every May 15 in honor of San Isidro Labrador, the patron saint of farmers, the Pahiyas is a thanksgiving fête for a bountiful harvest. Houses become a pageant of agricultural produce, decorated with fruits, vegetables, handicrafts, and the iconic Lucban motif, kiping, a leafshaped wafer made from glutinous rice. The book Pagdiriwang 2: Stories of Filipino Rites and Rituals writes that the kiping is made only for the day of the festivity, “for it is a very special treat; decoration that is good to eat. Only a few people know how to make kiping. First, new rice is ground, made into thin dough, spread on leafshaped molds, colored and dried crisps.” The bright reds of the work at hand signify the gaiety of the Lucbanins in their fervid thanksgiving to their beloved patron, San Isidro. Pahiyas also encapsulates Joya’s further exploration of Philippine themes until the twilight of his earthly life. The piece forms a quintessential and avant-garde part of Joya’s oeuvre called “acrylic collages,” which he started incorporating in the early 1970s. They are characterized by Joya’s usage of finely grained, diaphanous rice papers reminiscent of the kiping and translated into the artist’s abstract expressionist language of visually articulating the world around him. Interestingly, Joya likely personally encountered the Pahiyas Festival in one of his extensive travels within the country during the 1970s, conducting workshops and establishing art associations in the far-flung provinces. “With the imposition of martial law…came the travel ban, virtually confining my travels exclusively to the Philippines,” Joya once said. “Paradoxically, it served to open my eyes to the beauty and potential of my own country. More than at any other stage of my artistic development, I came face to face—and celebrated—my identity as Filipino.” And while this particular piece mirrors a Lucban home decked with eye-catching kiping, Joya’s enduring love affair with the Pahiyas that began at the peak of his career reaches its climax in this work that perfectly encapsulates the artist’s high regard for folk art and his indebtedness to the festivity that engendered a novel approach in his style. The book Pagdiriwang further notes that “when ready, kiping is so fine, light passes through it; so bright it catches the sun.” A circular figure can be seen at the top right corner of the piece, symbolizing the sun, its warmth, and its capacity to nourish and sustain the gift of life. Similarly, the vividness and clarity of Joya’s art compellingly allude to how Filipino culture, expressiveness, and ingenuity illuminated and enlivened his creative spirit. Joya finished painting Pahiyas on April 19, 1993, a month before the official commencement of the annual festivities. Just like how the colorful kiping has become a symbol for the Lucbanins to brighten their homes, exhibit their ingenuity, and manifest their gratitude to the Almighty and his servant, San Isidro, Joya’s Pahiyas is his fervid thanksgiving and indebtedness to the collective creative soul of the Filipino, from which his great art sprang and eventually became grounded. Like his name, Pahiyas is truly a jewel in Joya’s oeuvre. (A.M.)