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Lot description
Sunflowers 5 signed and dated 2021 (lower right) oil on canvas 24" x 24" (61 cm x 61 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Finale Art File and signed by the artist confirming the authenticity of this lot The oil painting at hand, a still life with seven sunflowers in a vase, is among the works of Mark Andy Garcia that pay homage to Vincent van Gogh and his sunflowers. In both their depictions of sunflowers, Garcia and van Gogh share a love of light and colors that convey specific attitudes. Also known as the antitrend painter, he informed in an article from Manila Bulletin that his pieces focus on telling stories that he himself understands. His still life images take inspiration from his personal experiences. “It’s important to me that I only paint what’s within my territory. That’s why I value my experiences because these are what influences me on what I am going to create,” Garcia shared in the said article published in 2021, which is also the year this piece was dated. “When you do things that are not naturally you, your audience will feel that your work is just a copycat.” Garibay steers this work titled Liyab. Here, the artist depicts a woman with long brown hair and an aloof facial expression. She wears a white dress and holds a burning paper. Is it a letter from a past lover? Is it a hidden page from her diary? Does it contain dark secrets about her personal life? But it remains clear that the woman wants to burn things from her past that she no longer wants to be associated with. Her cold expression shows that she is without remorse in alienating her past from her present and even her future. In this regard, Garibay shows fire’s beautiful contradiction: a destructive force that engenders something renewed, resurrected, and revitalized. The composition is like a window or an enchanted mirror in which one can peek through the thoughts and emotions of the subject. As such, Garibay, the compelling storyteller, offers a multitude of perspectives in this thought-provoking piece. (A.M.) In 2021, Garcia was included in five group exhibitions, among those was “Art Fair Philippines” at Silverlens Gallery. Makati City, Philippines. (P.I.R.)