Lot description
Ronald Ventura (b.1973 Enigma signed and dated 2001 (lower right) oil on canvas 36” x 22” (91 cm x 56 cm) PROPERTY FROM A VERY DISTINGUISHED ARCHITECT Provenance: Drawing Room Exhibited: The Drawing Room, Body, Makati City, 2002 World-renowned contemporary artist Ronald Ventura’s works serve as metaphors for Filipino identity—a pastiche of various cultures in which one can trace from history and foreign influences. Ventura also touches on global culture, taking a closer look at the western and eastern worlds, as he further delves on human nature through his art. Ronald Ventura’s anatomical and nude works effectively subvert the genre’s established inclinations by synthesizing unconventional visual elements with traditional and familiar cues. Though Ventura has also worked on numerous female nudes, he is best known for his explorations of the male body—a relatively novel concept within the medium. Though traditional male nudes often center around themes of strength, knowledge, and glory—such was the case even with the Philippines’ Gilded Age masters— Ventura’s works capture the male body in its most delicate and intimate poses. His figures do not exude a sense of bravura or stature, instead they reveal the realities of the human condition, allowing his figures to revel in the blameless imperfections of life itself. In this piece, Ventura’s figure is rendered in a sitting position. Its arms are positioned in a laid back position, exposing its delicate midsection. The figure is free from any domineering pretentious, allowing the figure to intimately engage with its emotional and poetic qualities.
