Lot description
PROPERTY FROM A DISTINGUISHED COLLECTOR Nikko Revisited signed (lower and upper right) 1979 oil on burlap 80" x 60" (203 cm x 152 cm) PROVENANCE Collection of Celia and Jose Molano, Manila Salcedo Auctions, 14 March 2020 Purchased from the above by the present owner LITERATURE Reyes, Cid. Arturo Luz. Makati City: Ayala Foundation and The Crucible for Globe Telecom, 1999. Black-and-white illustration and painting description on page 164. A painter, designer, printmaker, and sculptor, Arturo Luz was one of the leading lights in Philippine art history. His artistic journey, a result of his unwavering dedication to learning and development, led him to experiment with different styles and mediums, producing a diverse range of art pieces—sketches, oil and acrylic paintings, sculptures, and many more. His ceaseless art making and prolific artistry culminated in his conferment as a National Artist for Visual Arts in 1997. Nikko Revisited, a monumental oil on burlap piece, is part of Luz’s impressive collage works and is a striking example of his artistic skills. Created by stitching together scraps of burlap colored in blood-red and white, this 1979 composition showcases his spatial intelligence and discipline in aesthetic restraint. Despite the minimalist nature of his canvases, Luz’s masterful employment of forms and colors fills the void from bare spaces, capturing the audience’s attention and leaving a lasting impression on his masterpieces. “His sense of form is alive and distinguished: he knows abstraction and austerity, the sense of space and balance, he distorts with institutional rightness and grace — in other words, he is a real artist.” — Jose Garcia Villa, National Artist for Literature, on Luz’s prize winning work at the 5th Art Association of the Philippines’ annual art exhibition in 1952. (Jessica Magno)
