Elmer Borlongan Sold at Auction Prices

b. 1967 -

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              • Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) - Untitled
                Sep. 14, 2024

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) - Untitled

                Est: ₱5,000,000 - ₱6,500,000

                Untitled signed and dated 2004 (lower right) oil on canvas 36" x 48" (91 cm x 122 cm) WRITE UP Elmer Borlongan in the 1990s described his art style as “figurative expressionism.” As the decade moved to the next century, his style only evolved, further incorporating the elongated figures and the bald everyman in his oeuvre. This 2004 piece depicts Borlongan's signature figures. Two people sat cozily on a sofa, with the woman lying on her back with her head resting on the man's lap. Her face is solemn and serious as she reads; meanwhile, the man plays the piccolo, accompanying her with the melodious harmony. Their closeness is evident, physical or otherwise, as they remain in their own bubble while they do their own thing. Borlongan also clearly portrays the austerity of this couple’s living situation. They are dressed comfortably, if a little simply, and the wall behind them is bare of any decorations. In fact, if one looks hard, they can notice how unadorned the whole place is. And yet, the two do not seem to care – their relaxed expression portrays their contentment in their silent serene space. “The genius of Elmer Borlongan is the fact ... he is able to paint a supposedly sad situation and make it into a happy artwork,” Borlongan collector Julius Babao says in an interview with Rica Bolipata-Santos (published in a volume of Borlongan’s monograph Elmer Borlongan: An Ordinary Man, An Extraordinary Life) “It makes a statement about society that even in the darkest times, there is still space for happiness and to be able to enjoy life...He admits that life is dark sometimes but it doesn’t have to be. There is room for humor. There is room for happiness. There is a story to every piece that he makes.” Indeed, Borlongan approaches the austerity of the couple’s place not with solemn resignation but with content acceptance. There is despair and longing in their faces but there is hope and satisfaction in their simple lifestyle. He displays remarkable authenticity with his portrayal of the Filipino everyman – he does not shy away from the melancholy that seems to follow the common man but he does not withhold from them the simple joys they experience every day. It is a balancing act, to strike the balance between these two conditions, but Borlongan manages to strike gold. The human condition is portrayed realistically in his body of works, held in high esteem and profundity as Borlongan is wont to do with his depiction of the common Filipino masses. (Hannah Valiente)

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) - Untitled
                Sep. 14, 2024

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) - Untitled

                Est: ₱140,000 - ₱182,000

                Untitled signed and dated 2020 (lower left) animist, ink, and watercolor on toned paper 24" x 18" (61 cm x 46 cm) EXHIBITED Pintô Art Museum, Connect with your heart (Sampayan Art Exhibit), Antipolo City, 11 - 26 July 2020 WRITE UP Elmer Borlongan's everyman is almost always stripped down to his barest essentials. Dressed in his simplest clothes and face bare of any emotion, we glimpse the everyman as they are, a fact that Borlongan relentlessly pursues all throughout his career. With this 2020 ink and watercolor work, Borlongan's common man is stripped down only to his pants, figure devoid of colors or elaborate shading as he raises his hands up in mock surrender. Where his usual works veer into the contemporary, Borlongan harnessed the ancient in this work as he depicts a growling dog at the foot of the man with an eclipse happening in the background. Even using only ink and watercolor, Borlongan manages to convey a sense of mysticism in this piece, his vivid expressionism elevating the magic of the work. (Hannah Valiente)

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967 - Cabinet Member
                Sep. 14, 2024

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967 - Cabinet Member

                Est: ₱8,000,000 - ₱10,400,000

                Cabinet Member signed and dated 2005 (lower left) oil on canvas 60” x 48” (152 cm x 122 cm) LITERATURE: Campomanes, Oscar V. Elmer Borlongan: An Ordinary Man, An Extraordinary Life (Volume I). San Antonio, Zambales: Sayong’s Pasilyo Country Living and Bookstore, 2018. Full-color illustration and painting description on page 161. WRITE UP The Filipino Everyman According To Borlongan Injecting Wit into Social Commentary The Filipino everyman is the main protagonist of Elmer Borlongan’s expressionist oeuvre. Quick in his wit, Borlongan portrays the everyman at his barest, injecting humor in his otherwise dejected paintings. As he said in Oscar Campomanes’s monograph Elmer Borlongan: An Ordinary Man, An Extraordinary Life: "All my paintings are of things I have seen. There is no overt symbolism in any of my work, but there is always a story to be told." With his 2005 Cabinet Member, Borlongan injects a witty social commentary in what looks like a simple, if a bit surrealist, painting. Here, Borlongon’s everyday man (clad in blue jeans and a blue shirt whose sleeves are rolled up to provide more air for the man) carries on his back a giant cabinet, face determined as he slugs the furniture up towards his destination. Cleverly, the term “cabinet member” is a double entendre. A cabinet member refers to a high-ranking official who is among those expected to lead a country or a state. They are meant to advise the head of the state and are responsible for the day-to-day management of the government and its response to emergencies and sudden events. However, in Borlongan’s Cabinet Member, these formal, highly-educated officials are nowhere to be found. Instead, slugging and suffering in their place is a normal, everyday man. The commentary is pointed, if not subtle – it is the common people who strive hard to better their lives while those who are expected to lead shrug off the burden, giving it off to those whose shoulders are already heavy with problems. Borlongan’s sympathy has always been for the masses. Starting his artistic career under the mentorship of Fernando Sena, his community-based art greatly inspired Borlongan’s view of artistry. During his college years, he extended his works past the four walls of his classroom, he collaborated with other artists for political works and creations. This sympathy is still evident even past his college years. Cabinet Member is a shining example of his wit and charm, his sociopolitical works retaining their cheeky jab while remaining calm and palatable. “The genius of Elmer Borlongan is the fact … he is able to paint a supposedly sad situation and make it into a happy artwork,” Borlongan collector Julius Babao says in an interview with Rica Bolipata-Santos, as published in a volume of Borlongan’s monograph Elmer Borlongan: An Ordinary Man, An Extraordinary Life Indeed, the wit and wiles of Cabinet Member shows Borlongan's humor while showing the pertinent social and political situations of his times. He perfectly blends the dejection of the situation with a cheeky punch up at the leaders, with the title of the piece awarding the lofty “cabinet member” title not to the lauded, suit-and-tie men but to the common everyday folk who work tirelessly from day to night. There is little to assuage on the man’s face but as Borlongan said in the Campomanes book, "The people in my paintings don't show so much emotion in their entire faces, but you can see it in their eyes." (Hannah Valiente)

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)
                Jul. 27, 2024

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)

                Est: ₱20,000 - ₱26,000

                Elmer Borlongan x Secret Fresh "Hari Sonik" vinyl 10 1/2" x 5 1/2" x 2 3/4" (27 cm x 14 cm x 7 cm)

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)
                Jul. 27, 2024

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)

                Est: ₱35,000 - ₱45,500

                Untitled signed and dated 2016 (lower left) pen and ink on paper 8" x 10 1/2" (20 cm x 27 cm)

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)
                Jul. 27, 2024

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)

                Est: ₱30,000 - ₱39,000

                Mindfulness handsigned 2020 (lower right) digital print on archival paper 23" x 17" (58 cm x 43 cm) Leon Gallery wishes to thank the artist for confirming the authenticity of this lot

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)
                Jul. 27, 2024

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)

                Est: ₱50,000 - ₱65,000

                Encounter signed and dated 2001 (lower right) woodcut print 6/10 12 3/4" x 16" (32 cm x 41 cm)

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)
                Jul. 27, 2024

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)

                Est: ₱30,000 - ₱39,000

                Baseball Player digital print on archival paper print dimension: A2 20 1/2" x 14 1/2" (52 cm x 37 cm) Leon Gallery wishes to thank the artist for confirming the authenticity of this lot

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)
                Jul. 27, 2024

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)

                Est: ₱30,000 - ₱39,000

                Coffee Break handsigned and dated 2020 (lower left) print 19 1/2" x 13 1/2" (50 cm x 34 cm)

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) - Rematch
                Jun. 08, 2024

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) - Rematch

                Est: ₱3,800,000 - ₱4,940,000

                Rematch signed and dated 2019 (lower left) acrylic on canvas 40" x 30" (102 cm x 76 cm) PROVENANCE: Sining Kamalig EXHIBITED: Sining Kamalig, Noon at Ngayon: CMLI (Children’s Museum & Library, Inc.) Reunion Show, Quezon City, 19 March - 17 April 2019 VIP Ringside With Borlongan An Artistic Rematch With A Revered Mentor Elmer Borlongan's 2019 painting, Rematch, formed part of the Sining Kamalig exhibition titled "Noon at Ngayon," a reunion show organized by the Children's Museum and Library, Inc. (CMLI) in 2019. The exhibition gathered the former students of renowned painter and "Father of the Philippine Art Workshop," Fernando Sena. In the show, Borlongan's Rematch hung side by side (like a mirror reflecting the humble past with the thriving present) with an early work he made when he was only 11. Titled "Bata at Unggoy," the oil pastel on paper work was among Borlongan's first obra maestras. Borlongan was one of the driving forces behind "Noon at Ngayon" as both a celebration of Sena's 71st birthday and a profound gratitude to a dear mentor who honed his virtuoso as a child. Sena, who grew up in an underprivileged family from Tondo, had art running in his blood since he was a little boy. Fate smiled gently upon him when he joined a free art workshop at the CMLI, which gave him a much-needed scholarship to pursue painting at the University of the East. After graduating in 1971, Sena dedicated the succeeding years as a volunteer teacher for CMLI, where he would fortuitously meet an 11-year-old Elmer Borlongan in 1978. At 11, Borlongan came under Sena's wings, who had become a respected art mentor by then. This chance encounter was all thanks to Borlongan's aunt, Fely. (Sena was planning to court Fely then, so he gave slots to Borlongan and two of his cousins whom Fely sent for art workshops at the CMLI in Quezon City.) Borlongan attended Sena's classes like a Sunday worship service; he patiently commuted from Mandaluyong to Quezon City and was present even at Saturday classes. Sena, recounts Borlongan in the book Elmer Borlongan: An Ordinary Man, An Extraordinary Life, would also take his students on plein-air painting excursions within Metro Manila. At the CMLI, Borlongan would not only become Sena's diligent student but also his reliable assistant. In exchange for free tuition, Borlongan would help clean the classroom (he always anticipated this moment since he could have the chance to collect leftover pastels from other students). He would also go with Sena to impoverished areas, such as in Tondo and Novaliches, to give free art lessons. Borlongan also recounted how Sena would always provide him with art materials, including old posters taken from the CMLI office, on which the budding artist would draw and paint at its back portion. Borlongan confesses that he still has those posterscum- early works to this day. A gentle soul even in his childhood, Borlongan, at 12 years of age, would also give art lessons every Sunday to fellow children in his neighborhood at Nueve de Febrero in Mandaluyong. "I would memorize Mr. Sena's lessons on Saturday, then the following day, I would gather five of our neighbors in a small room in our house," Borlongan says in a 2019 ANCX interview. "I would set up visual aids, a blackboard, and still life and imitate how Mr. Sena teaches. I also allowed them to use my extra art materials." Sena taught Borlongan the value of keeping even his most imperfect artworks, saying that they are part and parcel of one's journey towards development. But even then, Sena had always praised Borlongan's creative prowess (he still does at present). While the subject of Rematch evokes the enduring popularity of boxing in the Philippines and the entertainment it gives to audiences, the work resonates even more with Borlongan and Sena's bond. It is a friendly 'rematch' with his great mentor; an encounter with his younger self; reliving the splendor of youth; a reconnection with old friends; a loving tribute to Sena. Rematch has become a loving language of giving back, and Borlongan embodies it by assisting Sena in his classes, even in recent years. Sena also recalls that Borlongan assisted his children in their schooling needs as a form of gratitude for the mentor's enduring impact on the now-successful painter. Casa San Miguel, Borlongan and wife Plet's creative residence in San Antonio, Zambales, serves as an idyllic center for workshops and development in the various fields of the arts, paralleling that of Sena's legacy of mentorship. For Borlongan, art is a blessing meant to be imparted to others. As such, he always remembers Mr. Sena's words: "Art can be learned, and whatever that can be learned can be shared with others." (Adrian Maranan)

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)
                Apr. 20, 2024

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)

                Est: ₱20,000 - ₱26,000

                Kuwago handsigned and dated 2021 (lower right) print 35/50  6 1/4" x 6 1/4" (16 cm x 16 cm)

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) - Barkada
                Mar. 09, 2024

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) - Barkada

                Est: ₱2,200,000 - ₱2,860,000

                Barkada signed and dated 1996 (upper left) acrylic on canvas 30" x 24" (76 cm x 61 cm) Accompanied by a certificate signed by the artist confirming the authenticity of this lot WRITE UP: "Emong" Borlongan: Friendship that Shelters Barkada forms part of Elmer Borlongan’s earlier oeuvre. The artist painted the work at hand when he was still a part of the artists collective “Sanggawa,” which emerged out of the “Grupong Salingpusa” and was founded in December 1994 by Borlongan, Mark Justiniani, Karen Flores, Joy Mallari, and Federico Sievert. Sanggawa mainly worked on large-scale paintings and murals and depicted themes of Philippine history, politics, and folklore, wedding them in an exciting intersection that cuts across contemporary Filipino society. The Sanggawa painted in a unified style, opposing an individualistic culture and society. The year Borlongan painted Barkada, he had found success in the international arena and relished the savor of heightened global exposure. In 1996, Borlongan was selected as artist-in-residence at the ARCUS Interactive Residence in the Arts at the Ibaraki Prefecture in Japan. This opportunity allows international artists to encounter and experience the Japanese contemporary art scene and promotes regional development through the arts. By 1996, Borlongan’s works had been prominently exhibited in several international galleries, including his 1994 participation at the “Fourth Asian Art Show” at Japan’s Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, a 1995 group exhibition at Sydney’s Ray Hughes Gallery, and 1996 group shows at the Singapore Art Museum, Brisbane’s Queensland Art Gallery, and the Asia Society Galleries in New York. He also received a travel grant to Sydney, Australia in 1996 from the Australia Center in Manila. In 1994, Borlongan was conferred the prestigious Cultural Center of the Philippines Thirteen Artists Award with fellow Salingpusa artists Justiniani and Montemayor. Barkada also encapsulates Borlongan’s artistic maturity: his full embrace of a figurative expressionist visual language, which was, to a certain extent, influenced by his Sanggawa period. Of his creative evolution, he succinctly writes in the monograph Elmer Borlongan: An Ordinary Man, An Extraordinary Life: “I started doing Botong-inspired works in 1982. I was veering away from realistic and impressionist representation of subject matters learned from the Sena school. Victorio Edades influenced my artmaking in terms of form and content using a modern approach. My social realist period was from 1988 up to 1992. My first solo show at Boston Gallery in Cubao in 1993 was moving towards figurative expressionism influenced by Onib Olmedo, Danny Dalena, and Jaime de Guzman.” Moving away from the influence of Fernando Sena, from whom he received his first artistic training as a young boy (Borlongan would also serve as an apprentice at Sena’s workshop, and Sena would be the one to tell Borlongan to hone his artistic prowess at the UP School of Fine Arts.), Borlongan began to incorporate distortion as a heightened visual device emphasizing the miserable human condition, especially that of the ordinary Filipino. Barkada is a ubiquitous Filipino term, an all-encompassing word that, from a denotational viewpoint, means “circle of friends” but can also mean a sense of shared humanity, a chosen family bonded by shared struggles, common interests, and most importantly, a profound sense of belonging and solidarity. In this thought-provoking work, a barkada composed of (adolescent) children dressed similarly in oversized white shirts. The composition is explicitly solemn, characterized by a somber palette, and further heightened by a backdrop possessing a jarring combination of colors. The subjects’ eyes are filled with blackness and emptiness. The girl in the center, possessing a penetrating, haunting gaze, holds a small umbrella, to which her clique takes shelter against the elements. While at first one may think of an inherent teenage angst present in the figures’ stances, the pictorial symbol of a small umbrella says otherwise. Here, we are shown a harrowing image of poverty—“isang kahig, isang tuka (“from hand to mouth,” having only the meager resources that would be shared by all members of a household). In another annotation from the Borlongan book, the artist says: “I was a volunteer for a foundation helping street kids in Palanan, Makati on Saturdays during the early ‘90s…The life of the children was a source of inspiration that captured my compassion for the less privileged.” The figures’ faces are rendered similarly, and they all share a similar clothing style, perhaps symbolizing the poor’s shared hardships and collective struggle against a fragile socio-economic situation that only caters to the few elite. Their blank stares allude to the phrase “pagtirik ng mata dahil sa gutom.” Despite the outpour of international acclaim, Borlongan never once forgot to look back at the plight of his fellow countrymen, emphasizing that the impoverished deserve as much dignity and the right to a decent, nourishing, and comfortable living. (Adrian Maranan)

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)
                Jan. 20, 2024

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)

                Est: ₱25,000 - ₱32,500

                Give Me Hope signed and dated 2020 (lower right) digital print on archival paper print dimension: A3 14 3/4" x 10 1/2" (37 cm x 27 cm)

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)
                Jan. 20, 2024

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)

                Est: ₱30,000 - ₱39,000

                Three Men in a Barren Landscape handsigned 2020 (lower right) digital print on archival paper size a2 20" x 15" (51 cm x 38 cm)

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)
                Jan. 20, 2024

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)

                Est: ₱30,000 - ₱39,000

                Mindfulness handsigned 2020 (lower right) digital print on archival paper 23" x 17" (58 cm x 43 cm)

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)
                Jan. 20, 2024

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)

                Est: ₱30,000 - ₱39,000

                Baseball Player digital print on archival paper print dimension: A2 20 1/2" x 14 1/2" (52 cm x 37 cm)

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)
                Jan. 20, 2024

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)

                Est: ₱30,000 - ₱39,000

                Give Me Hope signed and dated 2020 (lower right) digital print on archival paper print dimension: A2 20 1/2" x 14 1/2" (52 cm x 37 cm)

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)
                Jan. 20, 2024

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)

                Est: ₱30,000 - ₱39,000

                New Day digital print on archival paper size A2 20 1/2' x 14 1/2"

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) - a) Study of Guilty b) Guilty
                Dec. 02, 2023

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) - a) Study of Guilty b) Guilty

                Est: ₱3,000,000 - ₱3,900,000

                a) Study of Guilty b) Guilty a.) signed and dated 2015 (lower left) b.) signed and dated 2015 (lower right) a.) ink on paper b.) acrylic and modeling paste on canvas a.) 8” x 7” (20 cm x 18 cm) b.) 36” x 36” (91 cm x 91 cm) Accompanied by a certificate signed by the artist confirming the authenticity of this lot WRITE UPOne year after his historic European debut through his landmark participation at Paris' Galerie Géraldine Banier in the exhibition When Time Stood Still, leading Filipino contemporary painter Elmer Borlongan continues to shatter the status quo through his thought-provoking works, which resoundingly speaks of the collective story and struggle of the Filipino everyman. In this work titled Guilty, Borlongan appropriates the proverbial principle "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil." The proverb, based on the Japanese pictorial maxim of the "Three Wise Monkeys," originally meant not allowing evil to permeate one's thoughts, deeds, and, ultimately, one's being. However, in the modern context, the proverb has become reinvented and translated as "turning a blind eye." In this case, Borlongan's Guilty presents an image of a man stripped of his moral integrity and succumbing to the pitfalls of willful ignorance and the dangers of neutrality. Guilty possesses even greater resonance when placed into its relevant context; Borlongan painted the work in the crucial year before the 2016 Philippine presidential elections. The piece serves as a resonating reminder that our social responsibility as citizens does not end with voting. It is a constant learning and a collective undertaking of always being critical of those in positions of power. We should not "turn a blind eye" to injustice, avoiding that inner guilt of partaking in the nation's collapse to further desolation and darkness. We should rely on our shared struggles and strengths in constantly lobbying for the future that we deserve. Echoing the words of South African Anglican bishop and human rights activist Desmond Tutu, to be neutral in times of injustice is choosing the side of the oppressors. Guilty also reminds us of the wide and greater range of the masses and their role as the “messiah” and the "makers of history." Therefore, they possess a profound grasp of their socio-economic conditions. It is from them— and through them—that we learn of the real, concrete conditions of society. We rely on their readiness and level of social awareness and tirelessly teach and persuade them of their objective needs until they fully realize their collective strength in radically changing the oppressive and inhumane status quo. The work at hand is accompanied by the original sketch on ink, providing a veritable window into Borlongan's creative process. (Adrian Maranan)

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) - Untitled
                Dec. 02, 2023

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) - Untitled

                Est: ₱240,000 - ₱312,000

                Untitled signed and dated 1998 (lower left) charcoal on paper 16” x 12” (41 cm x 30 cm) León Gallery wishes to thank the artist for confirming the authenticity of this lot PROVENANCE: The Drawing Room WRITE UPElmer Borlongan’s exposure to the poor areas in urban Manila helped cement his preferred subject matters for years to come. Coming to artistic maturity during the tumultuous 1970s, the First Quarter Storm of 1970, the Plaza Miranda Bombing of 1971, and the proclamation of Martial Law in 1972 all had a great effect on the social commentary on Borlongan’s work. Joining the artistic activist group Artista ng Bayan (ABAY) in his college years, Borlongan’s work all carried the commentary the social realism movement espouses. In this 1998 sketch, Borlongan’s favored subject matter takes center stage – the working class. He uses his signature exaggerated figures and simple artstyle to drive home a poignant message. (Hannah Valiente)

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) - Untitled
                Dec. 02, 2023

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) - Untitled

                Est: ₱220,000 - ₱286,000

                Untitled signed and dated 1997 (lower left) charcoal on paper 27” x 21” (69 cm x 53 cm WRITE UPCCP Thirteen Artist Award Awardee in 1994, Elmer Borlongan’s work in depicting the lumpen, the homeless, and the children gained him notoriety in the 1990s. Acutely attuned to the urban Manila, his pieces feature the quintessential hardships and resilience that Filipinos possess. His stint with the activist group Artista ng Bayan in the late 1980s as well as his participation in the young artist group Salingpusa and later, Sanggawa, molded not only Borlongan’s art but his socio-political leaning. In this 1997 work, he portrays his subject, a man with his back to the viewer, in his distinct art style of bald eyes, enlarged eyes, and elongated limbs. He uses a simple background composition that highlights what Diane Onate says as Borlongan’s “extraordinary eye for the ordinary.” (Hannah Valiente)

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) - Untitled
                Dec. 02, 2023

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) - Untitled

                Est: ₱160,000 - ₱208,000

                Untitled signed and dated 2003 (lower right) charcoal on paper 14 1/2” x 10” (37 cm x 25 cm) León Gallery wishes to thank the artist for confirming the authenticity of this lot PROVENANCE: The Drawing Room WRITE UP“A typical Borlongan canvas as dominated by the human figure - often distorted in shape, in unreal hues.” Growing up in urban Manila, Elmer Borlongan’s artistic sensitivities naturally turned to the day-to-day struggles of the working class Filipino. A member of the Social Realist movements for his works featuring the lower class, Borlongan’s artistic style featured a highly stylized figure that includes bald eyes, enlarged eyes, and elongated limbs. Like this 2003 untitled work, the figures are portrayed with blank backgrounds that emphasizes their features. Using simple means, Borlongan manages to pack a punch. (Hannah Valiente)

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)
                Oct. 21, 2023

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)

                Est: ₱70,000 - ₱91,000

                Emong Harisonik signed painted vinyl 10” x 5 1/2” x 2 1/2” (25 cm x 14 cm x 6 cm)

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)
                Oct. 21, 2023

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)

                Est: ₱100,000 - ₱130,000

                Mourning the Death of KAL 747 signed and dated 1983 (lower right) charcoal on paper Accompanied by a certificate signed by the artist confirming the authenticity of this lot

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)
                Oct. 21, 2023

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)

                Est: ₱10,000 - ₱13,000

                Baseball Player signed and dated 2020 (lower left) giclee print on archival paper art size: 10” x 7” (25 cm x 18 cm) paper size: 10 1/4” x 7 1/4” (26 cm x 18 cm) León Gallery wishes to thank the artist for confirming the authenticity of this lot

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)
                Oct. 21, 2023

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)

                Est: ₱15,000 - ₱19,500

                Rizal handsigned and dated 2012 (lower right) iPad digital painting and giclee printed on archival paper 11” x 8” (28 cm x 20 cm) León Gallery wishes to thank the artist for confirming the authenticity of this lot

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)
                Oct. 21, 2023

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)

                Est: ₱15,000 - ₱19,500

                As the Crow Flies signed and dated 2020 (lower right) rubbercut print 7/15 14” x 11” (36 cm x 28 cm

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) - Kalinangan
                Sep. 09, 2023

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) - Kalinangan

                Est: ₱100,000 - ₱130,000

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) Kalinangan signed and dated 2001 (lower right) pastel on paper 8” x 11 1/2” (20 cm x 29 cm) Elmer Borlongan's Kalinangan depicts the contradiction inherent in cultivating one's potential and knowledge. The work's title comes from the Tagalog root word linang, which means cultivation. In many ways, the piece is related to Jose Rizal's sculpture, The Triumph of Science over Death. It also bears a poignant resemblance to the enduring parable of the moth and the flame, in which a young moth, eager to achieve enlightenment by flying into the flame, was harrowingly consumed by fire and fell into its demise. But in Borlongan's work, we are reminded of the fruitful outcomes that cultivating one's wisdom and knowledge can brilliantly engender. Yet, we are also cautioned to use that knowledge and understanding for the greater good of the oppressed and the underprivileged rather than investing them in the oppressors and, thus, partaking in the brutal subjugation of one's own kind. (Adrian Maranan)

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) - Devotion
                Sep. 09, 2023

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) - Devotion

                Est: ₱100,000 - ₱130,000

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) Devotion signed and dated 2000 (upper right) pastel on paper 12” x 9” (30 cm x 23 cm) We may recall in Elmer Borlongan’s Devotion those images of Folk Catholicism populating the vicinity of the Quiapo Church in Manila: the mystical fortune tellers or manghuhula, the vendors offering various potions and remedies, such as gayuma (love potion) and pamparegla. In this work, Borlongan depicts a veiled woman holding a lighted votive candle shaped into the form of a human body. For Quiapo vendors and mystics, candles represent different yearnings and prayers depending on the color that would be chosen and offered. Borlongan decided to depict in this work a red candle, symbolizing a blessing for good luck or swerte for one’s family. The woman’s penetrating and haunting gaze gives off an aura of desperation, perhaps a yearning for economic alleviation. As Borlongan is widely known for his depiction of Filipino humanity in their rawest and unvarnished reality, the artist paints a picture representing a people profoundly and painfully longing for a genuine socio-economic relief, an indication of a failed social order in which the people surrender their hopes and dreams into an uncertain supernatural force. They have lost trust in a system that does not fairly operate for the greater good of the underprivileged. (Adrian Maranan)

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) - Untitled
                Sep. 09, 2023

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) - Untitled

                Est: ₱180,000 - ₱234,000

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) Untitled signed and dated 2001 (lower left pastel on paper 15” x 11 1/2” (38 cm x 29 cm) Elmer Borlongan presents the current situation of the Filipino worker in this piece. We can see a man donned in his office attire. He is seated and clearly showing signs of emotional distress and agitation; his spirits are low, his mind is wretched, and he is in a very demoralizing situation. In a portrait of the Filipino as an exploited worker, Borlongan shows the movers and makers of society as suffering from socio-economic distress and precariousness brought by unjust and inhumane labor conditions: low wages that cannot keep up with the rapidly rising cost of living, the absence of a livable national minimum wage, fascist attacks to silence workers who are only forwarding and amplifying their immediate and long-term concerns and interests, and the further estrangement of the workers not only from their labor but also from others and their own selves—their passions and their harmonious relationships with others. Ours is a labor that merely and hardly fulfills our basic needs to survive yet satiate the lavishness and caprices of the bourgeoisie. Therefore, labor is not livable, productive, and fulfilling; it is dehumanizing. (Adrian Maranan)

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)
                Jul. 29, 2023

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)

                Est: ₱15,000 - ₱19,500

                a. Untitled signed and dated 2020 (lower right) print size with paper: 10 3/4” x 7 1/4” (27 cm x 18 cm) image size: 9 3/4” x 6 3/4” (25 cm x 17 cm) b. Untitled signed and dated 2020 (lower right) print size with paper: 10 3/4” x 7 1/4” (27 cm x 18 cm) image size: 9 3/4” x 6 3/4” (25 cm x 17 cm)

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)
                Jul. 29, 2023

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)

                Est: ₱10,000 - ₱13,000

                Another Day hand signed and dated 2020 (lower right) giclee print 10 1/2” x 7 1/4” (27 cm x 18 cm) León Gallery wishes to thank the artist for confirming the authenticity of this lot

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan
                Apr. 23, 2023

                Elmer Borlongan

                Est: ₱10,000 - ₱13,000

                i. Elmmer: An Extraordinary Man ii. Borlongan: An Extraordinary Life handsigned and dated 2022

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan
                Apr. 23, 2023

                Elmer Borlongan

                Est: ₱1,000 - ₱1,300

                i. Labyrinth of Kinship ii. Kariyanan

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) Give Me Hope
                Apr. 22, 2023

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) Give Me Hope

                Est: ₱15,000 - ₱19,500

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) Give Me Hope hand signed and dated 2020 (lower right) digital print on archival paper 10 1/2” x 7 1/2” (27 cm x 19 cm) León Gallery wishes to thank the artistfor confirming the authenticity of this lot

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) Baseball Player
                Apr. 22, 2023

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) Baseball Player

                Est: ₱15,000 - ₱19,500

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) Baseball Player signed and dated 2020 (lower right) digital print on archival paper 14” x 10” (36 cm x 25 cm) León Gallery wishes to thank the artistfor confirming the authenticity of this lot

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) CGO (Corrupt Government Official)
                Apr. 22, 2023

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) CGO (Corrupt Government Official)

                Est: ₱25,000 - ₱32,500

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) CGO (Corrupt Government Official) signed and dated 2020 (lower right) rubbercut, 49/50 4” x 10” (10 cm x 25 cm) León Gallery wishes to thank the artistfor confirming the authenticity of this lot

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)
                Feb. 18, 2023

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)

                Est: ₱4,000,000 - ₱5,200,000

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) Moving Forward (Pasulong) signed and dated 2015 (lower left) oil on canvas 60" x 48" (152 cm x 122 cm) LITERATURE: Campomanes, Oscar V. Elmer Borlongan: An Ordinary Man, An Extraordinary Life (Volume I). San Antonio, Zambales: Sayong's Pasilyo Country Living and Bookstore, 2018. Full-color illustration and painting description on page 283. The Filipino everyman is the protagonist in Elmer Borlongan's evocative works. The celebrated figurative expressionist painter said in Oscar Campomanes' Elmer Borlongan: An Ordinary Man, An Extraordinary Life: "All my paintings are of things I have seen. There is no overt symbolism in any of my work, but there is always a story to be told." In this piece titled Moving Forward, Borlongan depicts an office worker donned in his professional getup. He is seen riding a skateboard while listening to either music or a podcast using his pair of headphones. It is unclear whether he is going to work or going home from work. But either way, his blank eyes seemingly exude a penetrating gaze directed into the hollows of emptiness. It is as if the man has lost himself in the void. Borlongan presents a familiar image in which the follies of living and working in today's profit-oriented, neoliberal society are harrowingly depicted. In this work, the figure seemingly pops out straight from a chaotic rush hour scene in the busy avenues of Metro Manila's business districts, the bastions of the inhumane tenets of capitalism and neoliberalism. In this work, Borlongan presents to the viewer a perturbing image of the banality of living and working in the present, in which man is desensitized, exploited, and dehumanized. Man is not in harmony with himself and others as a consequence of alienation (of labor). There is this only anguish-filled void of existing in a cruel society, where we are "designed" and propelled to becoming slaves of our preprogrammed destiny—the modern-day social cancer. In fact, the title of the work presents to us its antithesis; we are struggling to work our way to progress in a system designed to make us regress into the abyss of desolation, bondage, and subjugation (unless we collectively act against it). We have been deprived of a life and labor lost into the fracture of coercion and estrangement, whereas it should have been productive and fulfilling, therefore humanizing. As Borlongan once said in the Campomanes book about the people in his works: "The people in my paintings don't show so much emotion in their entire faces, but you can see it in their eyes." (A.M.)

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan and Plet Bolipata Art Plates
                Jan. 22, 2023

                Elmer Borlongan and Plet Bolipata Art Plates

                Est: ₱7,000 - ₱9,100

                a. An Immaculate Conception Academy Silver Jubilee Celebration Commemorative Plate Elmer Borlongan, “Sitting Pretty” limited edition 49/100, handsigned with box 11 3/4” x 11 3/4” (30 cm x 30 cm) b. An Immaculate Conception Academy Silver Jubilee Celebration Commemorative Plate Plet Bolipata, “Nude and The Vanity table” limited edition 49/100, with box 11 3/4” x 11 3/4” (30 cm x 30 cm)  

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)
                Jan. 21, 2023

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)

                Est: ₱15,000 - ₱19,500

                a) Coffee Break b) Give Me Hope hand signed and dated 2020 (lower right) each digital print 10 1/2” x 7 1/2” (27 cm x 19 cm) each León Gallery wishes to thank the artist for confirming the authenticity of this lot

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) Clenched Fist
                Dec. 03, 2022

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) Clenched Fist

                Est: ₱300,000 - ₱390,000

                Clenched Fist signed and dated 2013 (lower right) chalk pastel on paper 16 1/2" x 11 3/4" (42 cm x 30 cm) Accompanied by a certificate signed by the artist confirming the authenticity of this lot The works of Elmer Borlongan encapsulate the collective experiences and struggles of the ordinary Filipino. With his distinct visual language of figurative expressionism, Borlongan injects palpable qualities of lightheartedness, optimism, and resilience into his works, imbibing familiarity into an oeuvre with which the people could easily identify with. In a 2018 interview with BusinessWorld for his retrospective exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Manila, Borlongan says: "I want my paintings to reach even regular folk. I have a passion for the ordinary Filipino that they, too, make big contributions to society. I want to show that they may be poor, but there is still hope." In the work at hand, the man's glaring eyes exude a penetrating gaze; his clenched fist evokes a stifling atmosphere. Is the man communicating his emotional, physical, and mental distress to the viewer? Is he conveying the anguish of mortal existence borne from one's harsh socio-economic conditions? Or, in a more powerful interpretation, is the man expressing, through his clenched fist, his bold solidarity with his fellow men? Following the maxim “crisis generates resistance,” is he now geared up to organize and painstakingly mobilize with them? Only Borlongan knows. In the artist's own words, "All my paintings are of things I have seen. There is no overt symbolism in any of my work, but there is always a story to be told." (A.M.)

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan x Secret Fresh - Hari Sonik (Gray)
                Oct. 23, 2022

                Elmer Borlongan x Secret Fresh - Hari Sonik (Gray)

                Est: ₱20,000 - ₱26,000

                Elmer Borlongan x Secret Fresh Hari Sonik (Gray) vinyl 10” x 5 1/2” x 2 1/2” (25 cm x 14 cm x 6 cm)

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan x Secret Fresh - Hari Sonik (Black)
                Oct. 23, 2022

                Elmer Borlongan x Secret Fresh - Hari Sonik (Black)

                Est: ₱20,000 - ₱26,000

                Elmer Borlongan x Secret Fresh Hari Sonik (Black) vinyl 10” x 5 1/2” x 2 1/2” (25 cm x 14 cm x 6 cm)

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) - The Visitor
                Sep. 10, 2022

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) - The Visitor

                Est: ₱160,000 - ₱208,000

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) The Visitor signed and dated 2001 (lower left) pastel on paper 20"x13"(51cmx33cm) León Gallery wishes to thank the artist for confirming the authenticity of this lot Accompanied by a certificate signed by the artist confirming the authenticity of this lot A recognized master of Figurative Expressionism, the characters that populate Borlongan’s canvas are distinct and remarkable: out of proportion and almost disfigured. The tableaus that Borlongan depict are ironic yet poignant depictions of the struggles of urban living; or, he delves into religious themes, mostly that of Catholicism. His having moved in 1998 to Zambales, the hometown of his artist-wife, has inevitably changed his worldview as well as his subjects, where rural folk as well as folk themes now inspire him.

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) - Edison the Magician
                Sep. 10, 2022

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) - Edison the Magician

                Est: ₱160,000 - ₱208,000

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) Edison the Magician signed and dated 2001 (lower left) pastel on paper 20" x 13" (51 cm x 33 cm) León Gallery wishes to thank the artist for confirming the authenticity of this lot Accompanied by a certificate signed by the artist confirming the authenticity of this lot Before Elmer Borlongan became based in Zambales, his paintings showed a brooding, expressionistic sensibility that projects the forlorn feeling of life in a desolate urban vacuum usually set against dark backgrounds. Brooding social commentary was a constant thread in Borlongan’s paintings. For Elmer Borlongan, the move also meant an expansion in terms of figurative subjects — where once his work featured people in mostly urban settings, his works from this later period began to feature people from the countryside as well. While his characteristic figurative distortions remain, the theme is more relaxed.

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) - Siesta
                Sep. 10, 2022

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) - Siesta

                Est: ₱100,000 - ₱130,000

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) Siesta signed and dated 2000 (lower left) charcoal on paper 14 1/2" x 21" (37 cm x 53 cm) León Gallery wishes to thank the artist for confirming the authenticity of this lot A leading light in the Philippine Visual Arts, Elmer Borlongan emerged as an artist with his depictions of simple subjects who deal with the confined spaces of modernity. He often finds himself sketching on a daily basis, a regular habit that comes almost instinctively. His drawings serve as visual diaries and a tool to further hone his skills — both as mental and artistic exercises. Heavily influenced by the plight of the human condition, Borlongan effectively infuses social realism with his unique brand of surrealism. The result is a masterwork of carefully and meticulously layered elements that reveal a certain kind of poetic symbiosis. Even in his more simple endeavors, his characteristic style and intention never shies away from his extensive corpus. (P.I.R.)

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)
                Jul. 30, 2022

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)

                Est: ₱70,000 - ₱91,000

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) a) Male signed and dated 1999 (lower left) pen on ink on paper 6” x 4” (15 cm x 10 cm) b) Hula Hoop signed and dated 2015 (lower right) pen and ink on paper 11” x 8” (28 cm x 20 cm) León Gallery wishes to thank the artist for confirming the authenticity of these lots

                Leon Gallery
              • Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)
                Jul. 29, 2022

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967)

                Est: ₱10,000 - ₱13,000

                Elmer Borlongan (b. 1967) Stress hand signed and dated 2021 (lower right) print, 5/10 drypoint on tetrapak 5 1/2” x 4” (14 cm x 10 cm) León Gallery wishes to thank the artist for confirming the authenticity of this lot

                Leon Gallery
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