Provenance: Private Collection, Manila

ABOUT THE WORK

          A pictorial drama that embodies an abundance of feelings, Mauro Malang Santos, is an example of a painter whom through enthusiasm and persistence, had risen above being a cartoonist and illustrator.  Malang’s artistry is embodied with his cunning relationship with colors.  He avoids no colors, nor a single hue or shade that he cannot orchestrate in his palette; resulting into a joyous feast that satiates the viewer’s appetite for adventure and color.
          Inspired by the sharp bristling blades of the Palm Sunday palaspas, Malang exalts the tree in the middle of a cityscape in a solidified manner that no breeze could disturb it.  No specific botanical species was chosen, rather he plays the role of a horticulturist and crafts his own flora.
          In this painting, Malang paints a gargantuan mosaic-like tree resting in the  middle of an urban jungle. It emanates an immaculate lyrical orchestration  of color and life to the whole city. Its roots gilded with might, its branches inspired by freedom and the fruits, comparable to the blinding sun, bursts  with bleaming bliss and hope.