Lot description
Fisherman signed and dated 1982 (upper left) oil on canvas 36" x 14" (91 cm x 36 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Finale Art File confirming the authenticity of this lot PROVENANCE: Private collection, Manila Angst on the High Seas From Ang Kiukok’s Golden Period of the 1980s The works of Ang Kiukok fuses Surrealist, Cubist, and Expressionist aspects, creating a visceral and vicious oeuvre that, as his Geringer Art biography quotes, “sustained a hard-edged evocation of fortitude and indignation in a hostile setting of screaming men, crucifixions and junk.” Amongst his works, fishermen and fish feature heavily, with this 1982 Fishermen finding its place within his oeuvre. The vibrant red background in its simplicity helps make the contorted aforementioned fisherman stand out. He stands with his head raised to the sky almost at an impossible angle; his torso is split open chest to knee, flayed open for the viewer to see the void that is his viscera. On the open space near his knee, a gigantic fish’s head emerges from the depth. Kiukok’s works embody themes of agony, madness, and sorrow, providing a shining light in the modern Philippine art scene and setting a new tone for the development of Philippine modernism. (Hannah Valiente)
