Ang Kiukok Sold at Auction Prices

b. 1931 - d. 2005

Born in 1931 in the Philippines, artist and painter Ang Kiukok enrolled at the University of Santo Tomas in the Art Studies program. There he was taught and mentored by the esteemed Filipino Cubist painter and illustrator, Vicente Manansala. In the 1960s, Kiukok rose to fame in his home country. In 1962, Kiukok's painting Pieta won bronze in the 1st International Art Exhibition in Saigon. Some classified his controversial style as figurative expressionism. Artist Ang Kiukok's valuable artwork often displays enraged, screaming figures in chains. His abstracts also depict rabid dogs and the crucified Christ. However, other Ang Kiukok abstract paintings show the gentler side of the artist's work when the subject is a mother lovingly and protectively embracing her young child. Ang Kiukok’s Fishermen sold for $1.2 million in 2017. Find valuable abstract paintings online to proclaim your interest in Cubism, Surrealism, and Expressionism.

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                • AFTER ANG KIUKOK FILIPINO CUBIST OIL PAINTING
                  Dec. 28, 2024

                  AFTER ANG KIUKOK FILIPINO CUBIST OIL PAINTING

                  Est: $100 - $150

                  Oil on canvas painting. After the 1977 artwork titled Thinking Man by Ang Kiukok, 1931 to 2005, a Filipino painter of Chinese descent, titled the National Artist for Visual Arts. The piece represents an abstract geometrized seated figure against the red background. Signed in and dated 1980 the upper left. Collectible Modernist Fine Art.

                  Antique Arena Inc
                • Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) - Seated Figure
                  Nov. 30, 2024

                  Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) - Seated Figure

                  Est: ₱700,000 - ₱910,000

                  Seated Figure signed and dated 1985 (upper left) tempera 18” x 12” (46 cm x 30 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Finale Art File confirming the authenticity of this lot PROVENANCE León Gallery, The Kingly Treasures Auction 2019, Makati City, 30 November 2019, Lot 3. The painting illustrates the intriguing look between caricature, with its distorting propensity, and a cubist expressionist response to social realist art. Ang Kiukok’s painting career can be summed up as a dichotomy of a struggle for human expressiveness and constant perfection of cubistic pictorialism. The human condition at its most pathetic or angriest predicament has always inspired this artist. Suffering and torture were images familiar to him as he witnessed these in his boyhood during the Second World War. Ang’s first trip to the United States in 1965 also proved to be a profound experience for him. He saw at close quarters the materialism of a highly industrialized society that turns human beings into machines or robots—a society that dehumanizes. Images of such cruelties continue to haunt him in the political and criminal violence reported daily by the mass media. The restricted color range of the work reflects the elegant austerity of Ang’s aesthetic sensibility. The painter’s colors not only strengthen the architectonic quality of his forms but also intensify his visual statements. It is this eruption of brutality from within civilized circumstances that enabled Ang Kiukok to extract from the scene such a convincing symbol of anguish.

                  Leon Gallery
                • Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) - Fish
                  Nov. 30, 2024

                  Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) - Fish

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

                  Fish signed and dated 1989 (upper left) oil on canvas 24” x 24” (61 cm x 61 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Finale Art File confirming the authenticity of this lot Viscerally shocking, the figures in Ang Kiukok’s work do not merely embody the emotions they convey – they are the personification of them. Pain, suffering, and terror are almost tangible as one peers into his canvas. Taking after his mentor and professor Vicente Manansala, Kiukok’s cubistic inspiration broke down his subjects into jagged, strict shapes. With Fish (1989), Kiukok portrays the body of a fish, splayed open for the viewer to see its bones. There is barely any fanfare on his depiction of the animal – only bare bones and a plain background, drawing to attention the distinct sense of disquiet and anxiety this image produces. Without anything else to look at, the viewer is forced to look at the fish in its barest qualities, its sharp angle prodding at the viewer’s perspective. Acerbic wit is a staple in the works of Kiukok. He is unafraid to be upfront with angst, overflowing his oeuvre with heavy headed symbolism and equally heavy subjects. As such, his works become a brutally honest look at his surroundings, his situation, and the world he moves in. (Hannah Valiente)

                  Leon Gallery
                • Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) - Fisherman
                  Nov. 30, 2024

                  Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) - Fisherman

                  Est: ₱3,600,000 - ₱4,680,000

                  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)

                  Leon Gallery
                • ANG KIUKOK (1931-2005). Untitled. oil on canvas 87 x 112 cm. (34 1⁄4 x 44 1
                  Sep. 27, 2024

                  ANG KIUKOK (1931-2005). Untitled. oil on canvas 87 x 112 cm. (34 1⁄4 x 44 1

                  Est: $650,000 - $850,000

                  ANG KIUKOK (1931-2005). Untitled. oil on canvas 87 x 112 cm. (34 1⁄4 x 44 1⁄8 in.).

                  Christie's
                • Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) - Rooster
                  Sep. 14, 2024

                  Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) - Rooster

                  Est: ₱28,000 - ₱33,000

                  Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) Hand-signed (lower right) and undated (c. 1971) Ed. 78/170 Serigraph 51 x 38 cm (20 x 15 in) This artwork has been graciously verified by Finale Art File

                  Salcedo Auctions
                • Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) - Untitled (Still Life with Table)
                  Sep. 14, 2024

                  Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) - Untitled (Still Life with Table)

                  Est: ₱3,000,000 - ₱3,300,000

                  Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) Signed and dated '70' (1970, lower right) Watercolor on paper 76.2 x 55.9 cm (30 x 22 in) Provenance: Collection of Teresita Jose and F. Sionil Jose, National Artist for Literature, Manila Acquired directly from the artist, thence acquired by the current owner National Artist Ang Kiukok masterfully uses a palette of bright and striking colors in this untitled still life, contrasting its various formal elements against a dark background to emphasize the rigidity of line. The interplay of color tones induces movement, guiding the viewer's eye rhythmically from one shape to the next, creating a dynamic visual experience. Ang's artistic journey began under the tutelage of National Artist Vicente Manansala at the University of Santo Tomas. Despite his proficiency in drawing, Ang was a novice when it came to the complexities of watercolor and oil paint. The crowded streets of Binondo were as new to him as the medium he was exploring. Yet, even in those early years, Manansala recognized the raw talent evident in his student's classroom compositions. Manansala's influence is clear, particularly in Ang's rejection of the objective world and his embrace of multiple viewpoints. By adopting the visual language of cubism and applying it to the classical subject matter of the tablescape, Ang reduces detail to its geometric essence while maintaining signifiers that anchor the work in reality. In scenes like this watercolor still life, he emphasizes the surfaces of objects, presenting them in a two-dimensional perspective. The volume of objects is suggested through the overlapping of colors and the interplay of lines, which brings a unique energy to the composition. Ang's modernist visualization elevates the ordinary to the extraordinary, drawing a forceful energy that captivates the viewer. His dedication to the essence of modern painting--where line, form, color, and texture take precedence over figurative exactitude--melds foreground and background, creating a unified pictorial surface. The provenance of this piece adds to its significance, having come from the esteemed collection of National Artist for Literature, F. Sionil Jose, and his wife, Teresita. In 1968, they founded Solidaridad Galleries in Ermita, Manila, providing a platform for young Filipino artists to showcase their works. Support the Next Generation of Writers The proceeds from the sale of this piece directly support the F. Sionil Jose Young Writers Award, a prestigious initiative dedicated to empowering the next generation of Filipino writers. This 2024, as we celebrate the 100th birthday of F. Sionil Jose, the namesake and founder of this award, we honor his enduring legacy by championing the values he cherished--excellence, integrity, social justice, and a deep love for the Philippines. The award also serves as a tribute to his wife, Teresita Jovellanos Jose, whose unwavering support and inspiration fueled his work. By acquiring the piece, you are making a meaningful contribution to the literary arts, helping to cultivate and inspire the emerging voices that will shape the future of Philippine storytelling. This award is generously supported by the Jose children, Solidaridad Bookshop, and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), and is managed by PEN Philippines in partnership with De La Salle University.

                  Salcedo Auctions
                • Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) - Clown
                  Sep. 14, 2024

                  Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) - Clown

                  Est: ₱2,200,000 - ₱2,400,000

                  Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) Signed and dated '86' (1986, lower left) Oil on canvas 31 x 31 cm (12 x 12 in) Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity issued by Finale Art File

                  Salcedo Auctions
                • Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) - Horse
                  Sep. 14, 2024

                  Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) - Horse

                  Est: ₱15,000,000 - ₱16,000,000

                  Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) Signed and dated '88' (1988, upper left) Oil on canvas 89 x 114 cm (35 x 45 in) Literature: Alfredo Roces, Kiukok: Deconstructing Despair, Finale Art Gallery, Mandaluyong City, 2000, plate 412 National Artist Ang Kiukok's 'Horse' is a striking example of the artist's ability to convey raw emotion and intensity through his symbolic use of color and form. Set against a vibrant orange background, this piece highlights Ang's skill in adapting his style to suit his auspicious subject matter, capturing the animal's powerful and dynamic essence. As an artist associated with figurative expressionism, Ang uses color not just as a visual but also as a symbolic element. The colors are carefully chosen to create a sense of the surreal, making a bold visual statement that is both striking and thought-provoking. This approach is typical of the artist's work, where colors are employed to emphasize the intensity of the emotions and situations he portrays, rather than to replicate the natural world.

                  Salcedo Auctions
                • Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) - Yellow Fish Skeleton
                  Sep. 14, 2024

                  Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) - Yellow Fish Skeleton

                  Est: ₱3,300,000 - ₱3,500,000

                  Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) Signed and dated '79' (1979, lower right) Watercolor on board 56 x 78 cm (22 x 30 3/4 in) A label from Galerie Dominique is affixed to the back of the frame Literature: Alfredo Roces, Kiukok: Deconstructing Despair, Finale Art Gallery, Mandaluyong City, 2000, plate 281 Note: Published in the book as measuring 56 x 76 centimeters. Salcedo Auctions is of the opinion that this is the the lot on offer and that the difference in measurement was possibly due to a change of matting at some point or an editorial error. In the late 1960s, National Artist Ang Kiukok encountered the profound visual impact of Pablo Picasso's 'Guernica' (1937) during a pivotal moment in his artistic development. Picasso's monumental work depicting anguished figures in response to the bombing of the Basque town of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War, provided a deeply cathartic and epiphanic experience for the young Ang, influencing his subsequent work. Upon returning to the Philippines, Ang's art began to reflect a significant shift. His paintings evolved to feature what have been described as feral and menacing animals and humans, embodying 'forceful expressions of anger, frustration, and anguish, at times touched with a macabre humor.' This transformation marked a departure from more traditional or serene representations, embracing a more intense and confrontational style. Ang's 'Yellow Fish Skeleton' was acquired by the present owner from Galerie Dominique, which was founded in 1970 by former senator Anna Dominique "Nikki" Coseteng. The gallery is renowned for being one of the earliest supporters of Ang, in addition to other modernist vanguards such as Juvenal Sanso and National Artist Vicente Manansala. The lot on offer, painted in 1979, shows how an image as simple as a bone-dry fish carcass becomes a potent visual metaphor. Its stark, almost surreal, representation is imbued with deeper meaning, reflecting the harsh and indeed transitory nature of existence, underscoring the pervasive struggle inherent in our universal condition. The artist's use of vivid hues--yellow, red, and blue--against stark black and red backgrounds serves to amplify the emotional impact of the fish's form. This bold color scheme not only enhances the visual dynamism of his paintings but also intensifies the expression of his thematic concerns. Reference: Juan T. Gatbonton, et al, Art Philippines, The Crucible Workshop, 1992, pp. 207-209

                  Salcedo Auctions
                • Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) - Still Life (Window Series)
                  Sep. 14, 2024

                  Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) - Still Life (Window Series)

                  Est: ₱7,000,000 - ₱9,100,000

                  Still Life (Window Series) signed and dated 1999 (lower right) oil on canvas 36” x 36” (92 cm x 92 cm) Accompanied by a certificate signed by the artist confirming the authenticity of this lot WRITE UP Among the modernists, Ang Kiukok was the artist who utilized the creation of still lifes to its fullest. Beginning with linear forms in austere gray, and brown of textured surfaces, over the years, he transitioned to a more complex and bright-colored cubist still lifes of tabletops containing fruits, potted plants, or bottles. Still lifes, for the artist, marked an important milestone in his artistic career and growth. It wa through the paintings of objects that one can chart Ang’s journey from his early days as a strictly Modernist painter, with his stringent yet fluid emphasis on expression, to his later outings as a uniquely distinct artist with his focus] on an Expressionist-Cubist technique. In this work, the artist presents his signature take on still- life, with his rigid and geometric portions building up to a figurative flatness that somehow manages to both convey and detract perspective. Yet one can argue that it is the artist’s Figurative approach that brings his subject matter closer to reality than those produced by means of a more classical or formal method. By exaggerating his forms and figures, Ang captures both the physicality of the area and the inherent context it contains.

                  Leon Gallery
                • Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) - Android
                  Sep. 14, 2024

                  Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) - Android

                  Est: ₱1,600,000 - ₱2,080,000

                  PROPERTY FROM THE PRISCILLA L. CHIONGBIAN COLLECTION Android signed and dated 1966 (lower right) watercolor on paper 28 1/4” x 20 3/4” (72 cm x 53 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Finale Art File confirming the authenticity of this lot WRITE UP "Appreciating the paintings of Ang Kiukok is not easy.” These are the words of Ma. Elizabeth L. Gustillo, the senior director of the Ayala Museum, in her message as written on Ang Kiukok: The Golden Years (1954 - 2004). Indeed, Kiukok’s pieces tend to disturb with their harshness – he has always avoided pretty things, instead gravitating towards the disturbing and the grotesque. With this 1996 piece, Kiukok’s signature fragmentation is on center stage. With a pitch black background, the viewer's attention is drawn on the abstraction that Kiukok placed squarely on the center. He plays around with the pictorial plane, circular motifs and harsh lines coexisting to create multiple spatial observations. One could see a myriad of images within the crooks and crannies of the planes, a testament to Kiukok’s artistic eye. Using an approximation of cubism, Kiukok manages to create such a visually stimulating piece, utilizing every element from composition to colors to light and shadows to put forth a message. When asked in the 1970s about why he was so angry, he replied: “Why not? Open your eyes. Look around you. So much anger, sorrow, ugliness. And also madness.” Indeed, even in abstraction, the emotions that grip Kiukok still bleed through, soaking every edge, element, and color with that signature Kiukok sorrow. (Hannah Valiente)

                  Leon Gallery
                • Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) - Untitled
                  Sep. 14, 2024

                  Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) - Untitled

                  Est: ₱800,000 - ₱1,040,000

                  PROPERTY FROM THE PRISCILLA L. CHIONGBIAN COLLECTION Untitled signed and dated 1960 (lower right) watercolor on paper 20 1/4” x 28” (51 cm x 71 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Finale Art File confirming the authenticity of this lot WRITE UP Adeviation from his usual angst-filled works, this 1960 untitled piece features the airiness that is often absent from his dark oeuvre. Shades of green and cream dominate the canvas as Ang portrays a massive tree in front of a house with its leaves sprawling out and spreading out of the canvas. The blacks of the tree branches and the house’s outline did not take away from the lightness Ang infuses this scene with; if anything, it emphasizes it, his compositional articulation drawing the eyes on the simple beauty of nature. With its sunny palette and easy subject matter, this work is a standout amongst Ang’s more somber pieces. However, despite this notable deviation, Ang's compositional knowledge and impeccable usage of colors are still evident – as the sun shines through the thick foliage, the artist's masterful control over watercolor resulted in a colorful explosion of hues, with the colors bleeding into each other as though one is viewing them through the warm afternoon's haze. (Hannah Valiente)

                  Leon Gallery
                • Ang Kiukok (1931-2005)
                  Jul. 27, 2024

                  Ang Kiukok (1931-2005)

                  Est: ₱120,000 - ₱156,000

                  Scream signed and dated 1978 (lower right) pen and ink on paper 12" x 8 1/2" (30 cm x 22 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Finale Art File confirming the authenticity of this lot

                  Leon Gallery
                • Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) - Fish
                  Jun. 08, 2024

                  Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) - Fish

                  Est: ₱1,000,000 - ₱1,300,000

                  Fish signed and dated 1971 (lower right) watercolor on paper 17" x 36" (43 cm x 91 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Finale Art File confirming the authenticity of this lot PROVENANCE: Private collection, Manila Ang Kiukok’s body of works can best be described as visceral. Entering the University of Santo Tomas with little formal artistic training, his style takes heavy inspiration from the esteemed artists he had the pleasure of being a student of, the most notable of which is National Artist Vicente Manansala whose cubistic influence is evident in Kiukok’s works. This affinity for the Cubist style is noticeable in his 1971 Fish. Heavy with his usage of black in this work, Kiukok breaks the monotony of the color with splashes of blues and reds. The fish in question, much like many of his subjects, is broken down to its barest essentials, sharp and angular with a distinct foreboding sense. The still fish is splayed open on what one could assume is a table, its internal skeletal structure on display for all to see. Sardonic wit is a staple in the works of Kiukok. Unafraid of heavy-handed symbolism and hard-hitting subjects, his works are unapologetic with their angst. In 1976, five years after he created Fish, Kiukok received the Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan from the City of Manila, one award in the long list of accolades gained by the National Artist. (Hannah Valiente)

                  Leon Gallery
                • Ang Kiukok (1931-2005) - Doors
                  Jun. 08, 2024

                  Ang Kiukok (1931-2005) - Doors

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

                  Doors signed and dated 1983 (upper left) oil on canvas 45" x 35" (114 cm x 89 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Finale Art File confirming the authenticity of this lot PROVENANCE Private collection, Manila A Sense of Somber Serenity From Ang Kiukok’s “Golden Period” The 1980s are dubbed Ang Kiukok's "golden period" by art collectors and connoisseurs. Many of his works from this fruitful decade epitomize his further progression and maturation of his expressionist-cum-cubist vernacular, which he adopted in the mid-'60s and formally debuted in a solo exhibition at the Philippine Art Gallery in July 1966. Ang's works from the 1980s are some of his finest masterpieces, stemming from his decision in 1982 to limit his exhibitions to prevent excessive public exposure. This disturbed Ang as he deemed such excessiveness to lead to unrestrained commissions that would compromise the quality of his works. Ang wanted time and only time to satisfy a personal expression that has become a religion. In the preceding decade, particularly in 1976, Ang was bestowed the Araw ng Maynila Award for painting. Two years later, in 1978, Ang would receive the Outstanding Alumnus Award from the University of Santo Tomas and be commissioned by the National Manpower and Youth Council (now TESDA) for a mural known as "Men at Work," now displayed at the National Museum of Fine Arts and declared a "National Cultural Treasure" by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. Ang's encounter with an expressionist visual language sprang from a tormenting experience in the US, where he sojourned in 1965 with his mentor, Vicente Manansala. Ang was deeply distressed by the American "mechanical" lifestyle: fast-paced, robot-like, void of emotions and, therefore, humanity. In New York, Ang was struck in awe by Picasso's Guernica, which he considered an awakening of his inner artistic senses. With Ang's continued delving into his expressionist cubist style, he further solidified his own stature in the annals of Philippine art, a far cry from Ang's early style, which the critics deemed as mere modernist reproductions and hampered by limitations due to the lack of exposure to more dynamic artistic expressions outside the Philippine Modernist school. The work at hand, titled Doors, from Ang's golden period, encapsulates the artist's profundity in wedding expressionist and cubist aspects. A sense of agitating serenity exists, with echoes of deafening silence and an atmosphere of restless solitude piercingly penetrating throughout the composition. Vibrantly somber colors add a layer of breeziness, albeit the severity of seclusion from the outside world plays a more A Sense of Somber Serenity From Ang Kiukok’s “Golden Period” dominant role in the work. Ang's use of multiple perspectives amid a seemingly flat pictorial plane generates confusion and chaos, with the sharply delineated angles and starkness of lines emphasizing a realm of forbidding stiffness. A bare landscape outside the windows reflects Ang's angst over humanity's inhumanity. Maybe he does not want to see all the cruelty man inflicts on one another? Perhaps it is that sense of anxiety about what man could be capable of? Compared with the Ang Kiukok who was always mild-mannered and soft-spoken, Ang's angst is flaunted prominently on his canvas. More than his anxiety-filled experiences in America that began his expressionist stage, Ang was no stranger to claustrophobia-inducing spaces. When he was a probinsyano first-timer in Manila in the early '50s, Ang shared a cramped boarding house with three boardmates on Arlegui Street in Downtown Manila. The quartet would often sleep in breezy Luneta to escape the dizzying heat of their shared domicile. This cycle would constantly hound Ang for the next ten years. Amid the critical success of his 1966 Luz Gallery exhibit of paintings centering on machines and the mechanicalization of human life, Ang experienced downright financial struggles; he had low sales from his paintings due to the harrowing themes of his paintings. As a result, he transitioned to painting portraits for the elite in the late '60s to the early '70s, which he deemed a suffocating experience as he felt his own artistry being compromised and dumped into the void. (Adrian Maranan)

                  Leon Gallery
                • Ang Kiukok 洪救國 | Mother and child 母與子
                  May. 09, 2024

                  Ang Kiukok 洪救國 | Mother and child 母與子

                  Est: $120,000 - $180,000

                  Ang Kiukok 1931 - 2005 Mother and child signed Kiukok and dated 2003 (lower left)  oil on canvas mounted on wood 38.1 by 19.2 cm. 15 by 7 ½ in. Executed in 2003. ------------------------------------ 洪救國 1931 - 2005年 母與子 款識 Kuikok 2003（左下） 油畫畫布裱於木板 38.1 x 19.2 cm. 15 x 7 ½ in. 二〇〇三年作

                  Sotheby's
                • Ang Kiukok (1931-2005)
                  Jan. 20, 2024

                  Ang Kiukok (1931-2005)

                  Est: ₱60,000 - ₱78,000

                  Two Figures I,II,III,IV,V and VI Six Figure Series Volume No. 2 handsigned and dated 1980 (lower right) etching 3/30 each: 12" x 11" (30 cm x 28 cm)

                  Leon Gallery
                • Ang Kiukok (1931-2005)
                  Jan. 20, 2024

                  Ang Kiukok (1931-2005)

                  Est: ₱100,000 - ₱130,000

                  Portrait of a Woman signed and dated 1970 (lower right) oil on canvas 35" x 40" (89 cm x 102 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Finale Art File confirming the authenticity of this lot

                  Leon Gallery
                • Ang Kiukok (1931-2005)
                  Jan. 20, 2024

                  Ang Kiukok (1931-2005)

                  Est: ₱15,000 - ₱19,500

                  Lion Dance stamped (lower right) Hong Kong Prints 128/247 14" x 14" (36 cm x 36 cm)

                  Leon Gallery
                • Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) - Still Life
                  Dec. 02, 2023

                  Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) - Still Life

                  Est: ₱700,000 - ₱910,000

                  Still Life signed and dated 1974 (lower right) oil on wood 15” x 12” (38 cm x 30 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Finale Art File confirming the authenticity of this lot WRITE UPAng Kiukok’s body of work is known for its sheer visceral quality. Exaggerated and simplified with strong color palettes, his works are consistently striking and powerful. Though known particularly for his multiple depictions of Christ crucified, Kiukok employs his cubist-like figures to portray quintessential Filipino topics like a woman with her child, rabid dogs, battling cocks, and other vicious subjects. In Juan T. Gatbonton’s words, “In a Kiukok painting, figures are much more than decorative, they are abstract vessels of nightmare emotion – pain, suffering, panic, terror.” In his 1974 Still Life, Kiukok deviates from his violent subject matters to depict the titular still life painting. However, while the usual focal points are missing, Kiukok’s signature line, form, and colors are present. His still life works become an avenue for him to expertly display his mastery of harmonious imagery. Kiukok’s works have been widely exhibited locally and internationally and in 2001, he was conferred National Artist for Visual Arts by then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. (Hannah Valiente)

                  Leon Gallery
                • Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) - Crucifixion
                  Dec. 02, 2023

                  Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) - Crucifixion

                  Est: ₱1,800,000 - ₱2,340,000

                  Crucifixion signed and dated 1991 (lower right) oil on canvas 36” x 12” (91 cm x 30 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Finale Art File confirming the authenticity of this lot PROVENANCE: Finale Art File, Makati City WRITE UPReligious iconography has figured prominently in Ang Kiukok’s oeuvre. However, Ang’s depiction of famous religious scenes, especially those of Christ’s passion and death, explicitly puts at the forefront the profane rather than the sacred. In this work aptly titled Crucifixion, Kiukok depicts the Santo Cristo Moribundo or the “Dead Christ.” The Arma Christi, or the instruments of passion—the cross, the nails, and the crown of thorns, figure prominently and, at first glance, represent afflictions and tribulations, the instruments of oppression and torture. But in actuality, Kiukok presents his compelling commentary on humanity’s inhumanity to their own fellow. In his own words, published in Alfredo Roces’ monograph titled Kiukok: Deconstructing Despair, Kiukok once said: “The Crucifixion symbolizes suffering. What I express is suffering. But things in the world are still the same. Nothing has changed. Christ suffered, and the people still behave in the same way. Today, as I have painted His image, He is reduced to bones, but people remain the same. Christ suffered for us, but for what?” Kiukok jabs at our religious hypocrisy. Particularly here in the Philippines, where Catholicism is the predominant religion, it seems we cannot ‘walk the talk.’ We may regularly hear Mass, say our prayers, or receive sacraments. But it is in our failure to realize the true essence of our Christianity and neglect of the importance of our shared humanity that Kiukok criticizes. Esperanza Bunag-Gatbonton writes in her book Kiukok that the figure of Christ, “whether as archetypal victim or redeemer, is the most powerful and best-developed.” Kiukok’s ability to translate and contextualize the sacred into the profane brings out the compelling quality of his interpretation of Christ’s passion. Here, Christ is stripped of his divine attributes. The hallowed and idealized artistic depictions of Christ as the Redeemer of humanity are retracted. He is as much a human as every one of us, emphasized more by Kiukok’s deliberate intention not to show Christ’s tormented face to imbibe to the viewer the virtue of finding empathy in our shared humanity in the image of the Divine. Christ’s body is fragmented into geometric planes, exuding a sense of heightened emotional impact and implying the condition of the human spirit being broken from our own iniquity and hypocrisy, our overt indifference to the suffering of our own kind even at the hands of oppressors. A decade after this work, Ang Kiukok was bestowed the venerable title of National Artist for the Visual Arts. (Adrian Maranan)

                  Leon Gallery
                • Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) - Head of Screaming Christ
                  Dec. 02, 2023

                  Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) - Head of Screaming Christ

                  Est: ₱1,000,000 - ₱1,300,000

                  Head of Screaming Christ signed and dated 2000 (lower right) oil on canvas 12” x 12” (30 cm x 30 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Finale Art File confirming the authenticity of this lot WRITE UPThe Screaming Christ by Ang Kiukok represents an existential cry, an assertion of defiance, a release from suffering. The violence he has witnessed and experienced in life has been a profound motivation in his work. Ang Kiukok’s violence is not something gratuitous, but it is both an inspiration for his art and a source of strength. It is, to quote the exhibit note on his homecoming exhibition in Davao City in 1981, “a visual allegory for the age—or of any age for that matter—as long as abuse of power, disequilibrium, and injustice continue to exist in the world Ang Kiukok’s works are enduring records of suffering and resistance, of despair and hope.” Works such as this are some of the most collected of the artist, a deeply existential man who saw that the role of humanity was to achieve absolute freedom.

                  Leon Gallery
                • Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) - Clown
                  Dec. 02, 2023

                  Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) - Clown

                  Est: ₱800,000 - ₱1,040,000

                  Clown signed and dated 1999 (lower left) oil on canvas 12” x 12” (30 cm x 30 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Finale Art File confirming the authenticity of this lot WRITE UPIn the later works of Ang Kiukok, such as this clown, one becomes aware of the artist’s greater emphasis on design, with a corresponding reduction in effect, and of the body’s inexhaustible potential as symmetrical form moving around an axis. This is in sharp contrast with how the artist delineated the human figure in the earlier decades of his career. In the 1970s and 1980s period of Ang’s art, the brush became a scalpel with a sharp cutting edge that dissects quivering muscle and tender tissue. In his art, Ang wants to convey what is to be a suffering human being. In them, the artist denies the viewer easy comfort. In the 1990s, Ang’s male figures have become more ‘fleshly’ in the artist’s new concern for muscular structure.

                  Leon Gallery
                • Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) - Scream
                  Dec. 02, 2023

                  Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) - Scream

                  Est: ₱500,000 - ₱650,000

                  Scream signed and dated 1981 (lower right) gouache on paper 12” x 9” (30 cm x 23 cm) Accompanied by a certificate signed by Mr. Andrew Ang confirming the authenticity of this lot WRITE UPNational Artist Ang Kiukok’s screaming figures in abstract geometric style reveal that he does not perceive life as a bed of roses or devoid of misery. The human figure is deconstructed through masterfully rendered lines and colors, with its bones showing out, trapped in a depriving space as if in a tortured, disintegrating state. In this specific Screaming Figure, outrage and agony are felt by the viewer with the pronounced widely opened mouth, teeth, and let-out tongue to the point that one can almost hear its pleas for internal suffering to end. Here, it is evident that man is believed as not exempted from a life full of despair, but, at the same time, of hope, with its clenched hands as if in prayer for relief. This work is a glimpse of the impact of American abstract art and the alienation and dehumanization Ang Kiukok encountered in his travel to New York with the late Vicente Manansala around 1965.

                  Leon Gallery
                • Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) - Crucifixion
                  Dec. 02, 2023

                  Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) - Crucifixion

                  Est: ₱1,000,000 - ₱1,300,000

                  Crucifixion signed and dated 1998 (lower left) oil on canvas 39” x 5” (99 cm x 13 cm) Accompanied by a certificate signed by Mr. Andrew Ang confirming the authenticity of this lot PROVENANCE: León Gallery, The Magnificent September Auction 2015, September 12, 2015, Lot 126 WRITE UPAng Kiukok has never been afraid to delve into grisly and violent subject matters. Just like his above quote suggests, his works are angry and striking with bright colors that tell of the conflict within the canvas. Kiukok traced the start of his artistic career in the politically turbulent times of the 1960s. His works turned even more intense, Brutal and visually agonizing, Kiukok’s favored subject matters included rabid dogs, battling cocks, and in the same vein as the lot in hand, multiple interpretations of the crucified Christ. This 1998 depiction of Christ on the cross does not shy away from the gory details that comes with crucifixion. His body is reduced to limbs in pure agony – the arms and legs are pierced with nails and stretched to the extreme with a gaping hole left in the writhing mess of a torso. Combined with the sharp lines, contrasting colors, and dark shadows, this depiction of Christ crucified leaves the serene image of the savior in the past, opting to put the torture of the cross at the forefront. (Hannah Valiente)

                  Leon Gallery
                • Jaime C. Laya
                  Oct. 22, 2023

                  Jaime C. Laya

                  Est: ₱3,000 - ₱3,900

                  Ang Kiukok handsigned

                  Leon Gallery
                • Ang Kiukok (1931-2005)
                  Oct. 21, 2023

                  Ang Kiukok (1931-2005)

                  Est: ₱120,000 - ₱156,000

                  Fisherman signed and dated 1981 (lower right) pen and ink on paper 8 1/2” x 12” (22 cm x 30 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Finale Art File confirming the authenticity of this lot

                  Leon Gallery
                • Ang Kiukok (1931-2005)
                  Oct. 21, 2023

                  Ang Kiukok (1931-2005)

                  Est: ₱300,000 - ₱390,000

                  Table signed and dated 1978 (lower right) watercolor on paper 8 1/4” x 11” (21 cm x 28 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Finale Art File confirming the authenticity of this lot

                  Leon Gallery
                • Ang Kiukok (1931-
                  Oct. 21, 2023

                  Ang Kiukok (1931-

                  Est: ₱20,000 - ₱26,000

                  Untitled signed (lower right) print 151/226 21 1/2” x 13 1/2” (55 cm x 34 cm)

                  Leon Gallery
                • Ang Kiukok 洪救國 | Dog 狗
                  Oct. 06, 2023

                  Ang Kiukok 洪救國 | Dog 狗

                  Est: - $200,000

                  Ang Kiukok 1931 - 2005 Dog  oil on canvas signed Kiukok and dated 2002 (upper left) Executed in 2002 31.5 by 31 cm. 12 ⅜ by 12 ⅕ in.  ------------------------------------ 洪救國 1931 - 2005年 狗 油畫畫布 款識 Kiukok 2002（左上） 二〇〇二年作 31.5 x 31 cm. 12 ⅜ x 12 ⅕ in. 

                  Sotheby's
                • Ang Kiukok 洪救國 | Mother and child 母與子
                  Oct. 06, 2023

                  Ang Kiukok 洪救國 | Mother and child 母與子

                  Est: - $200,000

                  Ang Kiukok 1931 - 2005 Mother and child oil on canvas signed Kiukok and dated 2003 (lower left)  Executed in 2003 38.1 by 19.2 cm 15 by 7 ½ in. ------------------------------------ 洪救國 1931 - 2005年 母與子 油畫畫布 款識 Kuikok 2003（左下） 二〇〇三年作 38.1 x 19.2 cm 15 x 7 ½ in.

                  Sotheby's
                • Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) - Crucifixion
                  Sep. 09, 2023

                  Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) - Crucifixion

                  Est: ₱500,000 - ₱650,000

                  Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) Crucifixion signed and dated 1981 (lower right) watercolor on paper 19" x 14" (48 cm x 36 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Finale Art File confirming the authenticity of this lot Astudent of the watercolor maestro Vicente Manansala, Ang Kiukok dabbled in watercolors of postwar subjects such as the barungbarong and jeepneys, as well as growing urban spaces in the early period of his artistic practice from the 1950s-1960s. Even during such early beginnings, Kiukok had already shown a penchant for a style of geometric figuration that would come together more wholly throughout his career. Manansala, who possessed a mastery of the cubist style, had made a profound impact on Kiukok as his teacher, after all. Despite this, Kiukok would not simply live under the name of his maestro. In contrast to the idyllic folk subjects of Manansala’s transparent cubism, Kiukok would dwell on the sacred and profane in a style of geometric figuration that evoked a grating sense of space. The crucifix is among Kiukok’s most favored subjects alongside other religious images such as the Pieta, the suffering Christ, the Last Supper, votive candles, and churches. Often, he strips his subjects down into bonelike figurations that are both sharp and stark. And yet, what the artist paints is far from irreverent. Instead, they simply illustrate a disturbing picture of emaciation that captures viscerally the feeling of excruciating despair. Riddled with religious angst, Kiukok’s crucifixes in particular seem to foreground Christ as human—the God made flesh—whose passion is borne from such worldly suffering. It is a suffering that emaciates— yet supposedly emancipates the believer at the same time. But in the excruciating moment of great pain and suffering, how is one to still believe in the saving act of passion and sacrifice? Kiukok’s recurrent fixation on the sacred seems to supply an answer: that there is only suffering because belief remains. (Pie Tiausas)

                  Leon Gallery
                • Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) - a.) Family b. ) Mother and Child
                  Sep. 09, 2023

                  Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) - a.) Family b. ) Mother and Child

                  Est: ₱220,000 - ₱286,000

                  Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) a.) Family b. ) Mother and Child a.) signed and dated 1994 (upper left) b.) signed and dated 1997 (upper left) pen and ink on paper 8 1/2" x 11 1/2" (22 cm x 29 cm) each Each piece is accompanied by a certificate signed by Mr. Andrew Ang confirming the authenticity of this lot These two works in pen and ink by Ang Kiukok show a tender and warmhearted facet of the revered national artist and leading figure of Filipino figurative expressionism; they manifest the artist's hopeful search for genuine love within humanity amid a harrowing and agonizing world. In Alfredo Roces' book Kiukok: Deconstructing Despair, Ang reveals that his "Mother and Child series expresses human love. A part of me is not angry. The Lovers theme also shows human affection." The first piece shows a tight-knit family, an allusion to Ang's homage to traditional Filipino family values; mother and father in a warm embrace with their children clinging onto them as a sign of dependence and trust. The second depicts a mother and her infant in a tableau of maternal intimacy and nurturing. Showcasing a glimpse into humanity's inherent devotion to benevolence and social cohesion, Ang encapsulates his confidence and faith in humanity's moral choices. (Adrian Maranan)

                  Leon Gallery
                • Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005)
                  Jul. 29, 2023

                  Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005)

                  Est: ₱15,000 - ₱19,500

                  Crucifix handsigned and dated 1980 (lower right) etching PUB/C 19 1/4” x 6” (49 cm x 15 cm)

                  Leon Gallery
                • Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005)
                  Jun. 17, 2023

                  Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005)

                  Est: ₱500,000 - ₱650,000

                  Fish signed and dated 1987 (upper left) each oil on panel 4 7/8" x 5 7/8" (12 cm x 15 cm) each PROVENANCE Finale Art File, Makati City The lots at hand contain no secrets or riddles, nothing questionable to the observer, simply a fish served on the table. Other than the plate and tablecloth, there is nothing else perceived on the canvas. Perhaps, the artist wanted to focus on the subject as the lone leitmotif, given the intentional geometric mannerisms in the composition. However, the pieces are so organized and assembled in detail that all references to those objects are soon overlooked. Ang Kiukok’s works that are titled Fish were notable for probing into the internal skeletal structure beneath the scales and flesh. The fish on the plate does not look edible or appetizing, as it is portrayed with sharp teeth and spiky bones, sometimes even reduced to bare bones and fins. Other subjects of Kiukok also underwent a similar approach; for one, his fighting cocks were armored gladiators with bladed spurs and metallic claws. His imagery, however, does not intend to insult. To him, bodies are more interesting when bare of flesh, exposing the underlying structural form. For the same reason, the skeletons of a fish are more dramatic than the same fish alive, still with its soft skin of flesh. “I want to be able to see underneath the skin,” Kiukok said. (P.I.R.)

                  Leon Gallery
                • Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005)
                  Jun. 17, 2023

                  Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005)

                  Est: ₱1,000,000 - ₱1,300,000

                  Barong-Barong signed and dated 1971 (lower right) watercolor on paper 18" x 37" (46 cm x 94 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Finale Art File confirming the authenticity of this lot PROVENANCE Private Collection, Toronto Ang Kiukok's depiction of the barung-barong drastically progressed: from the identifiable patchworks of corroded salvaged materials that make up its walls, floors, posts, and roofs, characteristic of Ang's barung-barong from the early 50s up to the mid-60s to the enigmatic forms revealed in the mid-60s onwards. Ang's visit to New York's Museum of Modern Art in 1965 marked a critical turning point in his style. There, he saw Picasso's cubist-surrealist magnum opus—Guernica—on display then at the MoMa. Guernica and Picasso would have an enduring influence in Ang, even revealing to Cid Reyes in 1983 that Picasso was among the Western artists whose works he admired the most. Ang also remarks in the Roces book: "Up to 1965, painting came easy to me. It was pure technique. In those days, it was all right. Easy... In America and Europe, I saw the paintings in museums and said, "This is painting." When I came back to the Philippines, I could not paint for a while; then, I could hardly wait to get started. Before my trip abroad, I didn't know what direction to take my painting." In the work at hand, we see Ang coming to terms with his own artistry. A convergence of various styles is discerned: Cubism's block-like forms, surrealism's uncanny atmosphere, and expressionism's unnatural colors and distorted and flattened yet evocative forms. The image of the barung-barong follows an intuitive approach rather than a logical one, with its chaotic configuration of shapes evoking the dire situation in the slums. Another important aspect of this work is the barung- barong's appearance, like a combination of machines, suggestive of dehumanization amid a "progressing" society. In the Roces book, Ang shares: "Not only was I influenced by the paintings I saw in the US, but I was even more affected by the people there...The people are like robots, without humanity." The disorderly ambiance of this work, with the barung- barong's shambolic consolidation of salvaged materials, speaks not of the romanticized resilience and ingenuity of the people in the slums but rather their lack of resources to afford a humanized living due to social inequalities. Thus, the work encapsulates a turning point in Ang's career, in which he had already shifted toward the angsty, anguish-filled paintings he has come to be known for. (A.M.)

                  Leon Gallery
                • Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005)
                  Jun. 17, 2023

                  Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005)

                  Est: ₱2,400,000 - ₱3,120,000

                  Seated Figure signed and dated 1978 (upper left) oil on canvas 24" x 16" (61 cm x 41 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Finale Art File confirming the authenticity of this lot PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Hong Kong Ang Kiukok, a renowned Filipino artist, is known for his profound contributions to Philippine contemporary art. Throughout his career, Kiukok's artworks demonstrated a unique blend of expressionism and cubism, incorporating bold colors, angular forms, and a distinctive visual language. Amidst his repertoire of subject-matters, it is arguably the Seated Figure that combines his distinct style with the artist's unique sense of Existential awareness. "Seated Figure", created by Kiukok in 1978, portrays an individual in a seated position, rendered with the artist's characteristic use of sharp, angular lines and vivid colors. The figure's elongated body, distorted features, and contorted limbs evoke a sense of tension and unease, drawing the viewer into a realm of emotional intensity. The composition's strong vertical and horizontal lines create a dynamic balance, capturing the viewer's attention and accentuating the power and presence of the seated figure. Through the cubist influence apparent in "Seated Figure," Kiukok explores the fragmentation and reconstruction of form. The figure's body is deconstructed into geometric shapes and planes, presenting multiple perspectives simultaneously. This technique allows the viewer to experience the subject from various angles, encouraging a deeper engagement with the painting. The emotional depth conveyed in "Seated Figure" is a recurring theme in Kiukok's body of work. His paintings often delve into the darker aspects of the human experience, tackling themes of alienation, struggle, and social injustice. In "Seated Figure," the distorted features and body language of the subject evoke a sense of anguish and introspection, inviting viewers to contemplate the complexities of human emotions and the burdens we carry within. Moreover, "Seated Figure" can be interpreted as a reflection of the social and political climate during the time of its creation. The 60s and 70s in the Philippines was marked by social unrest and political turmoil. Kiukok, like many artists of his generation, used his work as a medium for social commentary. The unsettling nature of the seated figure in the painting can be seen as a representation of the collective unease and struggles faced by the Filipino people during that period. (J.D.)

                  Leon Gallery
                • ANG KIUKOK (1931-2005) Crucifixion oil on canvas laid on board 60.2 x 39.7
                  May. 29, 2023

                  ANG KIUKOK (1931-2005) Crucifixion oil on canvas laid on board 60.2 x 39.7

                  Est: $300,000 - $500,000

                  ANG KIUKOK (1931-2005) Crucifixion oil on canvas laid on board 60.2 x 39.7 cm. (23 3/4 x 15 5/8 in.)

                  Christie's
                • ANG KIUKOK, (Filipino, 1931-2005), Tondo, 1961, oil on board, 21 1/2 x 31 1/2 in., frame: 22 1/8 x 31 7/8 in.
                  May. 06, 2023

                  ANG KIUKOK, (Filipino, 1931-2005), Tondo, 1961, oil on board, 21 1/2 x 31 1/2 in., frame: 22 1/8 x 31 7/8 in.

                  Est: $25,000 - $35,000

                  ANG KIUKOK (Filipino, 1931-2005) Tondo 1961, oil on board signed and dated Kiukok 61 upper left

                  Grogan & Company
                • A CENTEX Limited Editon Plate
                  Apr. 23, 2023

                  A CENTEX Limited Editon Plate

                  Est: ₱6,000 - ₱7,800

                  Ang Kiukok, Mother and Child 1674/2000 12” x 12” (30 cm x 30 cm)

                  Leon Gallery
                • Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) Crucifixion
                  Apr. 22, 2023

                  Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) Crucifixion

                  Est: ₱1,000,000 - ₱1,300,000

                  Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) Crucifixion signed and dated 19 (lower right) watercolor on paper 36” x 18” (91 cm x 46 cm) This piece is accompanied by a certificate issued byFinale Art File and signed by the artist confirmingthe authenticity of this lot PROVENANCEPrivate Collection, USALeón Gallery, The Spectacular Mid-Year Auction 2019,June 22, 2019, Makati City, Lot 29 EXHIBITEDMuseum of Philippine Art (MOPA), Recent Works by AngKiukok, Manila, July 28 - September 30, 1983 LITERATUREBenesa, Leonidas V. “Ang’s expressionist, un-Taoist works atMOPA.” Philippines Daily Express. August 4, 1983 Ang Kiukok’s depiction of the suffering Christ is emblematic of his enduring figurative expressionist trademark that captures the multifaceted aspects of human anguish and despair. In this particular subject, Christ is not imbued with absolute divinity nor depicted in accordance with the Church’s doctrines. Emphasis is not given to the Christ that the ordinary Christian has come to know, the Christ who died to redeem humanity of its sins. For Kiukok, Christ was a human being—a mortal just like the rest of us—who had been unfortunate to bear the brunt of intense earthly suffering due to humanity’s innate wickedness and impunity. In the book Kiukok by Esperanza Bunag-Gatbonton, Kiukok shares: “The Crucifixion symbolizes suffering. What I express is suffering. But things in the world are still the same. Nothing has changed. Christ suffered, and the people still behave in the same way. Today, as I have painted his image, he is reduced to bones, but people remain the same. Christ suffered for us, but for what? “The poor are not happy. That’s the hard truth. I only bring it out. Other painters seek to beautify. I am truthful. What I see, I show. When I was young, I was extremely idealistic. I thought people were high-minded. It turns out that for a small matter, they will betray you. When I became older, I observed it in others. It is as if what Christ endured and died for was for nothing. I paint these images to awaken people. People will not change. No chance. The devoutly religious just use the Church to be able to confess their sins and be forgiven only to revert to the same behavior. “Slowly, as I grew up, I learned. Christ was crucified for nothing. People have no morals. Why are people this way? They are getting worse and worse. My painting is to wake people up.” (A.M.)

                  Leon Gallery
                • LOT WITHDRAWN
                  Apr. 22, 2023

                  LOT WITHDRAWN

                  Est: ₱15,000 - ₱19,500

                  LOT WITHDRAWN

                  Leon Gallery
                • A Lot of Two Prints
                  Apr. 22, 2023

                  A Lot of Two Prints

                  Est: ₱15,000 - ₱19,500

                  A Lot of Two Prints a. Manuel Rodriguez Sabong signed (lower right) print 21” x 26” (53 cm x 66 cm) b. Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) Untitled (Fishermen) signed and dated 1982 (lower right) print 9” x 12” (23 cm x 30 cm)

                  Leon Gallery
                • Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005)
                  Feb. 18, 2023

                  Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005)

                  Est: ₱2,800,000 - ₱3,640,000

                  Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) Fish signed and dated 1979 (lower right) oil on canvas 32" x 24" (81 cm x 61 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Finale Art File confirming the authenticity of this lot PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner The older works of Ang Kiukok often had flat surfaces. He dealt with perspective, working around it through color modulations or through either merging or breaking up surfaces. Kiukok explored a purely pictorial element in this 1979 oil painting, Fish. The red fish on the plate does not look edible or appetizing, as it is portrayed with sharp teeth and spiky bones. He rendered the fish as though with x-ray vision, revealing what is beneath the flesh. The overlaying or superimposing of one hue on another was his way to show the volume of the fish. Other subjects of Kiukok also underwent a similar approach; for one, his fighting cocks were armored gladiators with bladed spurs and metallic claws. His imagery, however, does not intend to insult. To him, bodies are more interesting when bare of flesh, exposing the underlying structural form. For the same reason, the skeletons of a fish are more dramatic than the same fish alive, still with its soft skin of flesh. “I want to be able to see underneath the skin,” Kiukok said. (P.I.R.)

                  Leon Gallery
                • Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005)
                  Feb. 18, 2023

                  Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005)

                  Est: ₱700,000 - ₱910,000

                  PROPERTY FROM THE LETICIA RAMOS SHAHANI COLLECTION Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) Untitled (Fish) signed and dated 1977 (upper left) watercolor on paper 22" x 30" (56 cm x 76 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Finale Art File confirming the authenticity of this lot In the Madonna portrait at hand, Manansala has replaced the brown angles and patchwork planes of his first famous work, “Madonna of the Slums” — which only served to emphasize the overcrowding and dire straits of the squatter colony — with a more structured but still geometric backdrop. Inventively, these are fashioned out of aluminum paint tubes, beaten flat and cut into various shapes and sizes, no two alike, silhouetting the mother and child as well. In the same 1958 interview, Manansala would confide his own hard times during the War years, uncertain where to find enough paint to make a precarious living. He related how he was was forced “to scrape old hardened paint, grind it into powder, and mix it with coconut oil” in order to continue to accept the commissions for paintings he depended on. The present Madonna may thus be viewed as partinstallation, part affirmation of a more prosperous period in his life, created from the most precious material an artist could have. Paint — the expensive imported kind, indeed — was now in plentiful supply for Manansala as he had become the country’s most sought-after artist. The pliable metal is covered in luminous greens and blues, accented with bright oranges. It is an optimistic even joyous work, no longer expressing the biting commentary on social ills of his original pieces. The Madonna was a theme that Manansala would return to over the decade. “I paint to express what I feel and to satisfy myself,” he was quoted as saying in 1958. “I paint not what I see but what I feel.” As a result, the interview noted, “Most of the time, it takes Manansala many paintings to express fully what he feels about a certain subject. Again it takes him many paintings to exploit fully a form that captures his fancy. Hence, he usually paints a series of canvases about only one subject, each painting totally different from the other. Not only that, he seems to express his ideas and emotions in other forms. It is this desire that has prompted him to branch out to sculpture. He wants to see how his paintings will look like in three dimensions. When he has spent his emotions through self-expression, only then is he satisfied.” Manansala would thus not only create paintings and sculptures of his favorite themes such as the Madonna but also charcoal drawings, wood-cuts and watercolors, Western and Orientalist. The mixed-media work at hand, however, is the only one known of its kind but is instantly recognizable in the style he preferred to called “mannerism”. It is unsurprising that this unusual rendition of the transcendental mother would belong to the feminist and cultural leader Senator Leticia Ramos Shahani. Sister to one Philippine President, cousin to another, the Senator was also an important political force in her own right. She would pioneer the concept of women’s rights, and the female role in diplomacy and governance in the Philippines as well as on the international stage. Senator Shahani was also previously an ambassador and a leading figure in the United Nations. She would also coauthor the bill that would create the influential National Commission for Culture and the Arts which continues to shape the cultural agenda of the country to this day

                  Leon Gallery
                • Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005)
                  Feb. 18, 2023

                  Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005)

                  Est: ₱1,800,000 - ₱2,340,000

                  PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF A DISTINGUISHED COUPLE Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) Still Life with Pitcher signed and dated 2000 (lower right) oil on canvas 24" x 22 1/2" (61 cm x 57 cm) PROVENANCE Finale Art File, Makati City In the book Kiukok: Deconstructing Despair, Alfredo Roces writes that “of the modernists, [Ang] Kiukok has worked the still life to the fullest.” Roces continues: “Starting from linear forms in austere grey and brown on a textured surface, over decades Ang Kiukok took his series on “crates” to more complex and bright-colored cubistic groupings of tabletops containing a potted plant, or some fruits, or bottles. The lines and planes perform a dance of spatial illusion.” Before Ang became the revered modernist that he came to be, he was first known as the son of Chinese immigrants who owned a sari-sari store in Davao. There, the Kiukok family sold various goods, including abaca, dry goods, and grocery items. By the late 1930s, the family business expanded, operating three stores, one in the city and two in a neighboring town.” “We lived by the beach,” Kiukok shares, “and my father would buy abaca and coconut to take to the pier in Davao City. He was a trader, so he would bring back canned goods and rice to sell to the outlying areas.” It was this exposure to a manifold of produce where Ang acquired his mastery of the still life, breathing diverse characters, expressions, and (often muted) emotions. In this piece, Ang presents a simple yet delectable feast. Here we can see an assemblage of fruits—ripe mangoes placed in a bowl and a guava, a slice of fresh watermelon, and a hand of bananas distributed in different parts of the table. A pitcher filled with water stands prominently. With the vibrancy of the composition, one can palpably relish the enticing and palatable sweetness of the fruits. Ang’s still lifes are orderly, yet they have a subtle and delicate hint of expressionism. The artist explores and dissects the essence of the subjects by rendering them in his signature Cubist language. The subjects appear like puzzle pieces fastened to form an integral whole. This is particularly evident in the table, in which the crispness of the colors and starkness of lines employed by the artist lend spatial illusions and a diversity of expressions. Moreover, Ang’s planar and spatial acuity is discerned. Composition is flattened, distortion is employed, and intense colors are applied, emphasizing the subjects’ essence rather than its materiality. Perception is what Ang aims to underscore. (A.M.)

                  Leon Gallery
                • Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005)
                  Feb. 18, 2023

                  Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005)

                  Est: ₱300,000 - ₱390,000

                  Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005) Seated Figure signed and dated 1985 (upper left) tempera on paper 18" x 12" (46 cm x 30 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Finale Art File confirming the authenticity of this lot PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Manila A seated figure is one of the iconic images in the already well-established oeuvres of Ang Kiukok. As an artist in a period of political turmoil, he sought an expression imbued with nationalist fervor and sociological agenda. For Kiukok, the people in his art are victims of a society that are being exploited and tormented. He captured in his canvases the terror and trepidation of his time, as observed in this 1985 painting. Aside from his renowned works in oil and watercolor, Kiukok also created pieces that used tempera. His paintings indeed prove his expertise in color, pictorial distortion, and sense of scale – the set of skills that granted him the coveted title of National Artist. (P.I.R.)

                  Leon Gallery
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