Jojo Legaspi Paintings & Artwork for Sale | Jojo Legaspi Art Value Price Guide

Sep. 14, 2024
Jojo Legaspi (b. 1959) - Untitled
Est: ₱1,000,000 - ₱1,300,000
Untitled signed (lower right) pastel on paper 58 1/2" x 45 1/4" (149 cm x 115 cm) WRITE UP Jojo Legaspi and the Travails of the Human Experience Jojo Legaspi’s art is often described with words like "unnerving," "brooding," and "dark," and for good reason. His works, like the one depicted here, invite viewers into a world that is stark, isolated, and deeply introspective. At first glance, the piece may appear unsettling, evoking a sense of unease that can be disquieting. The central figure, alone in a barren room, embodies a haunting stillness, as if trapped in a moment of quiet despair. The walls close in with heavy shadows, and the stark contrast of light and dark adds to the oppressive atmosphere, making the viewer feel as though they are intruding upon a private moment of profound solitude. Legaspi’s work often strays far from the idyllic and picturesque scenes traditionally celebrated in Philippine art, choosing instead to focus on the raw, often uncomfortable aspects of human experience. The uncanny expressions and suggestive poses in his pieces, like the one before us, serve as a departure from the serene landscapes and romanticized depictions that once dominated the art scene. This divergence from the norm is not merely for shock value; it is a conscious choice that allows Legaspi to delve into the complexities of the human condition. His art challenges viewers to look beyond the eerie exterior and engage with the deeper narrative—one that explores the darker, often ignored, facets of life. In this particular work, the figure’s posture, the dim lighting, and the claustrophobic setting combine to create a scene that speaks volumes about isolation, existential dread, and the human condition’s more somber realities. The room, devoid of any adornment or warmth, mirrors the emotional state of the figure, suggesting themes of alienation and introspection. The figure's gaze is not directed at the viewer but somewhere beyond, perhaps into the recesses of their mind, inviting the audience to ponder the thoughts and emotions hidden within. Legaspi’s exploration of these themes is deeply rooted in his unique background. With degrees in Biology and Zoology, he approaches his subjects with a meticulous, almost clinical eye, dissecting not just the physical form but the very essence of human experience. His scientific training informs his art, allowing him to create works that are not mere depictions but intricate dissections of the human psyche. In this way, his art becomes a bridge between the physiological and psychological, revealing the complex interplay between the body and the mind. This piece, much like his broader body of work, compels the viewer to confront uncomfortable truths about themselves and society. It is a mirror reflecting the darker aspects of life, and through its unsettling imagery, it forces us to engage with the psychological and emotional depths that are often left unexplored. Legaspi’s work, while challenging, offers a profound commentary on the human experience, reminding us that art’s power lies not just in its ability to please but also in its capacity to provoke thought and introspection. (Jed Daya)
Leon Gallery
Jul. 27, 2024
Jojo Legaspi (b. 1959)
Est: ₱60,000 - ₱78,000
Untitled signed (lower right) charcoal on paper 11 3/4" x 8 3/4" (30 cm x 22 cm)
Leon Gallery
Mar. 09, 2024
Jojo Legaspi (b. 1959) - Untitled
Est: ₱1,400,000 - ₱1,820,000
Untitled signed (lower right) and dated 2007 (verso) pastel on paper 39 1/2" x 27 1/2" (100 cm x 70 cm) PROVENANCE: The Drawing Room WRITE UP: Jose "Jojo" Legaspi, with a primary focus on psychology and memory, interprets the human condition and personal experiences using subdued colors, simple lines, and minimalistic backgrounds. Renowned for his extensive use of monochrome, he portrays figures in states of distress, repression, and isolation. Although his works are often characterized as unsettling, it is the provoked existential unease that gives these explicit visualizations a profound impact. This particular work by Legaspi takes an arguably more subtle approach. Wherein the often explicit nature of his practice is now hidden within the subtle yet eerie gesture of the figure. Here we see a woman’s fingers in a pointing position, gesturing towards something beyond the frame. Yet her eyes are fixed upon the viewer. Is the work and act of condemnation? If so, who or what is it pertaining to? Perhaps it could also be an invitation. One that critiques our subconscious decision to participate in certain acts ingrained to us as members of society. Legaspi earned degrees in zoology and biology from the University of Sto. Tomas before pursuing fine arts. His interests span exploring mainstream perspectives on religion, sex, and gender identity in Philippine society. Influenced by his upbringing in a family of artists and intellectuals, his artistic approach is intellectual. Legaspi sees himself as a philosophical artist, creating art not entirely for entertainment but to provoke thought and disturb the comfortable. (Jed Daya)
Leon Gallery
Oct. 21, 2023
Jojo Legaspi (b. 1959)
Est: ₱200,000 - ₱260,000
Untitled signed (lower right) charcoal on paper 45" x 45" (114 cm x 114 cm)
Leon Gallery
Jun. 17, 2023
Jojo Legaspi (b. 1959)
Est: ₱200,000 - ₱260,000
Untitled signed (lower right) charcoal on paper 45" x 45" (114 cm x 114 cm) Accompanied by a certificate signed by the artist confirming the authenticity of this lot The idea that art is an avenue of expression, especially raw and often unfiltered emotions, is not an uncommon way to look at art. Yet, the concept is often skewed in favor of feelings of love, passion, beauty, and curiosity. Rarely do we lump together these emotions with sentiments of anxiety, dread, and fear. But is there a need to do so? Shouldn't an aversion to fear be natural to us given that self-preservation is often an innate part of our character? Though it may seem second-nature for us to avoid things that incite fear let alone create things that produce or remind us of fear, history has proven otherwise. Fear, together with the other passions we often hold up to high esteem, has been central to a number of works of art, literature, and even music. Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey introduces us to supernatural forces that not only inhabit the edges of the known world, but heavenly firmament as well. Ovid’s Metamorphoses introduces us to a sort of cosmological horror beyond our understanding. While the spread of Christianity located fear within the devil and his temptations through the lessons of the Church and works such as Dante’s Divine Comedy and even Hieronymus Bosch’s paintings. Though one can easily reach the conclusion that the common thread between these eras are a fear of others, one can argue that a deeper look provides us with the idea that the fear that animates these things is not a fear of other beings, but a fear of both knowing the possibility that these creatures are at their very core human as well, and the fear that the breadth of their capabilities are in fact unknown to us. The gods of Homer are often seen as having the same flaws as us, yet possessing strength far beyond our capabilities. While the Judeo-Christian turn taught us to fear actions that go against the creator not only because of its roots in evil, but also because we are very much capable of it ourselves. To fear is to know that human beings are very much capable of inhuman things. Though the modern period has relatively downscaled our imagination from myths and gods to men and machines, fear and our mysterious interest in it has not lost its conceptual touch nor its profound hold on us. Artists and writers alike, such as Shirley Jackson, H.P. Lovecraft, and Francis Bacon have shown us that despite the things we fear have changed, fear itself still remains innate and even divine. In Filipino art, no one has looked at fear directly in the face more than Jojo Legaspi. His practice has seemingly left no stone unturned. From religious trauma to violence and oppression, Legaspi has explored the horrors that reside within the recesses of our mind. But it is arguably this untitled piece that tackles fear in a way his other works do not; for it reveals the artist’s own fear as well. This particular work is the only work of his that features a cat, given that he has a phobia of them. His fear of cats is reportedly rooted in the fact that an eyeless cat would frequent his doorstep. The hollow and sunken visage of the cat incited a deep and lasting fear of the animal. It is unclear as to whether or not Legaspi’s fear is born out of him seeing the cat as an omen or whether he was traumatized by the cat’s gruesome constitution. Despite this, one thing is clear. Legaspi’s fear is rooted not only in our aforementioned conceptual definition of fear, but also in an acceptance that the inhuman things that drive fear are unknown as well. The work itself can be seen as an act of translating the artist’s personal fear into a language audiences can understand. The sunken eye holes of the cat seemingly peering into the viewer. Its stance is both afraid, yet ready to pounce. While the background of the piece features a street corner rendered in such a way that gives off an eerie and foreboding vibe. The unknown implications of the piece; the palpable sense of unease further solidifies the fear of the unknown. But in confronting his fear, Legaspi answers the question as to what value can fear give us. In this work we see the indomitable human spirit despite the possibilities of the unknown. Jojo Legaspi presents us with the reality that beauty is not the only thing that lies within the eye of the beholder. (J.D.)
Leon Gallery
Oct. 22, 2022
Jojo Legaspi (b. 1959)
Est: ₱20,000 - ₱26,000
Jojo Legaspi (b. 1959) Phlegm Series No. 2 dated 2003 signed (lower right) charcoal and chalk on paper 11 3/4” x 8 3/4” (30 cm x 22 cm)
Leon Gallery
Oct. 22, 2022
Jojo Legaspi (b. 1959)
Est: ₱20,000 - ₱26,000
Jojo Legaspi (b. 1959) Phlegm Series #8 dated 2003 signed (lower right) charcoal and chalk on paper 11 3/4” x 8 3/4” (30 cm x 22 cm)
Leon Gallery
Oct. 22, 2022
Jojo Legaspi (b. 1959)
Est: ₱200,000 - ₱260,000
Jojo Legaspi (b. 1959) Untitled signed (lower right) dated 2019 charcoal and chalk on paper 45” x 45” (114 cm x 114 cm)
Leon Gallery
Sep. 10, 2022
Jojo Legaspi (b. 1959) - Untitled I, II, III, and IV
Est: ₱1,000,000 - ₱1,300,000
Jojo Legaspi (b. 1959) Untitled I, II, III, and IV signed (lower right) each mixed media 36" x 24" (91 cm x 61 cm) each Unnerving, brooding, and dark. These works are often used to describe the works of Jojo Legaspi. A cursory glance at Legaspi’s pieces arguably suggests that the artist’s work is not for the faint of heart. From uncanny expressions to suggestive poses and distressing circumstances, Legaspi’s works are wildly different from the idyllic scenes and landscapes that once dominated Philippine art. But beyond the inherent uncanniness of his works lies an intimate exploration and critique of human existence itself; available only to those who dare go beyond his eerie veneer. Much like his practice, Legaspi’s interest in art also stemmed from an unusual place. The artist’s degrees in Biology and Zoology allowed him to observe his desired subject matter in a meticulous and almost clinical manner; allowing him access into the relationship between the physiological, psychological, and visual elements of his forms and figures.
Leon Gallery
Jul. 30, 2022
Jojo Legaspi (b. 1959)
Est: ₱400,000 - ₱520,000
Jojo Legaspi (b. 1959) Untitled signed (lower right) charcoal on paper 45” x 45” (114 cm x 114 cm)
Leon Gallery
Jul. 30, 2022
Jojo Legaspi (b. 1959)
Est: ₱40,000 - ₱52,000
Jojo Legaspi (b. 1959) a) Pleghm Series 8 signed (lower right) dated 2003 charcoal and chalk on paper 11 3/4” x 8 1/2” (30 cm x 22 cm) b) Phlegm Series 2 signed (lower right) dated 2003 charcoal and chalk on paper 11 3/4” x 8 1/2” (30 cm x 22 cm)
Leon Gallery
Jun. 11, 2022
Jojo Legaspi (b. 1959)
Est: ₱400,000 - ₱520,000
Jojo Legaspi (b. 1959) Untitled signed (lower left) charcoal on paper 44 1/2" x 38 1/2" (113 cm x 98 cm) PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Manila Jose “Jojo” Legaspi, whose main interests include psychology and memory, renders the human condition and the personal experience through muted colors, simple lines, and minimal background. He is also critically acclaimed for his prolific use of pastel, depicting figures in distress, repression, and isolation. His works are often described as unsettling, but the evoked existential unease is what makes these explicit visualizations resonant. Graduating with degrees in zoology and biology in the University of Sto. Tomas before taking fine arts, Legaspi’s interests range from delving on mainstream views on religion, sex, and gender identity in Philippine society. His intellectual approach to art-making is also cultivated during his childhood years; he grew up in a family of artists and thinkers. He creates art not to entertain, but to disturb—he has described himself a philosophical artist—and definitely makes people ask questions about urban realities and contemporary issues. The faces of his attention-grabbing figures are usually sallow, suggestive of a state of being in a repressive atmosphere and the need to be freed from a struggle. (J.D.)
Leon Gallery
Apr. 23, 2022
Jojo Legaspi (b. 1959) - a) Pleghm Series 8 b) Phlegm Series 2
Est: ₱70,000 - ₱91,000
Jojo Legaspi (b. 1959) a) Pleghm Series 8 b) Phlegm Series 2 a)signed (lower right) dated 2003 b)signed (lower right) dated 2003 a)charcoal and chalk on paper b)charcoal and chalk on paper a)11 3/4” x 8 1/2” (30 cm x 22 cm) b)11 3/4” x 8 1/2” (30 cm x 22 cm)
Leon Gallery
Apr. 23, 2022
Jojo Legaspi (b. 1959) - Untitled
Est: ₱300,000 - ₱390,000
Jojo Legaspi (b. 1959) Untitled signed (lower right) charcoal on paper 45” x 45” (114 cm x 114 cm) Accompanied by a certificate signed by the artist confirming the authenticity of this lot
Leon Gallery
Mar. 05, 2022
Jojo Legaspi (b. 1959) - Untitled
Est: ₱200,000 - ₱260,000
Untitled signed (lower right) charcoal on paper 45" x 45" (114 cm x 114 cm) Accompanied by a certificate signed by the artist confirming the authenticity of this lot Jose “Jojo” Legaspi, whose main interests include psychology and memory, renders the human condition and the personal experience through muted colors, simple lines, and minimal background. He is also critically acclaimed for his prolific use of pastel and charcoal, depicting figures in distress, repression, and isolation. His works are often described as unsettling, but the evoked existential unease is what makes these explicit visualizations resonant. Graduating with degrees in zoology and biology in the University of Sto. Tomas before taking fine arts, Legaspi’s interests range from delving on mainstream views on religion, sex, and gender identity in Philippine society. His intellectual approach to art-making is also cultivated during his childhood years; he grew up in a family of artists and thinkers. He creates art not to entertain, but to disturb—he has described himself a philosophical artist—and definitely makes people ask questions about urban realities and contemporary issues. The faces of his attention-grabbing figures are usually sallow, suggestive of a state of being in a repressive atmosphere and the need to be freed from a struggle.
Leon Gallery
Sep. 11, 2021
Jojo Legaspi (b. 1959) Nuptial Hour
Est: ₱1,800,000 - ₱2,340,000
Jojo Legaspi (b. 1959) Nuptial Hour signed (lower right) and dated 1999 (verso) oil on canvas 60" x 48" (152 cm x 122 cm) P 1,800,000 provenance Hiraya Gallery exhibited Hiraya Gallery, 2000 Unnerving yet undoubtedly alluring, the works of Jojo Legaspi are not afraid to examine the sometimes mysterious, banal, and irreverent aspects of the mind and the human condition. Much like his practice, Legaspi’s interest in art also stemmed from an unusual place. The artist’s degrees in Biology and Zoology allowed him to observe his desired subject matter in a meticulous and almost clinical manner; allowing him access into the relationship between the physiological, psychological, and visual elements of his forms and figures. Thus, on the surface Legaspi’s works may seem macabre and twister, yet to the keen eye and the dauntless observer, the artist’s works unarguably speak volumes about our present condition and the historical context we revel in. Legaspi plays with oil to create portraits that seem to dramatize the explosion inevitable after the repression of a society, sexually, and otherwise. Legaspi’s contemporary art installations, sculptures, and drawings bring together image, text, and materiality to bear witness the dark life-narratives relating to sexuality and other social conflict within the Philippine psyche, as he seems to experience it. Using muted colors, smooth brush strokes and simple lines, his minimal backgrounds serve to thrust his dramatic yet realistic subjects provocatively to the viewer’s immediate attention - portraying the bleak and obsessional imagery that is confronting, but is often filled with tenderness and pity, evoking the dualism of love and hate that exists in daily life. This act, which is akin to opening up a discussion or debate, humanizes and democratizes Legaspi’s chosen context in a unique dialectical method. For Legaspi, tapping into and subverting the two extremes of the spectrum is the most effective way of synthesizing a truly holistic message. The direct and confrontational nature of his imagery as shown in this piece, with its startling lack of ornamentation or bright colors and its explicit content, is a testament to the truthful sincerity and strong emotions in Legaspi’s mind wherein portraying his subjects as believable and human involved in gross acts of dissolute and corrupt debauchery represents the fallibility of his subjects as individuals and as symbols of society’s perversions and contradictions.
Leon Gallery
Jul. 16, 2021
Jose “Jojo” Legaspi (b. 1959) - Untitled
Est: ₱700,000 - ₱910,000
Jose “Jojo” Legaspi(b. 1959) Untitled quantity: 16 artworks charcoal on paper 12” x 9” (30 cm x 23 cm) each
Leon Gallery
Oct. 17, 2020
Jojo Legaspi (b. 1959) - a) Phlegm Series 7 b) Phlegm Series 9 c) Phlegm Series 33 d) Phlegm Series
Est: ₱120,000 - ₱156,000
Jojo Legaspi (b. 1959) a) Phlegm Series 7 b) Phlegm Series 9 c) Phlegm Series 33 d) Phlegm Series 269 charcoal and chalk on paper 12” x 9” (30 cm x 23 cm) each
Leon Gallery
Sep. 19, 2020
Jojo Legaspi (b. 1959) - Snakepit
Est: ₱200,000 - ₱260,000
Jojo Legaspi (b. 1959) Snakepit signed and dated 1998 (lower right) pastel on paper Jose “Jojo” Legaspi, whose main interests include psychology and memory, renders the human condition and the personal experience through muted colors, simple lines, and minimal background. He is also critically acclaimed for his prolific use of pastel, depicting figures in distress, repression, and isolation. His works are often described as unsettling, but the evoked existential unease is what makes these explicit visualizations resonant. Legaspi skillfully renders turbulence on-point, adding to the overall allure of his works. He makes a direct kind of art to bring up various experiences, concepts, and ideas without clutter and overuse of many colors. Rather, he uses monotone color schemes to portray subject matters on an existential level, resulting in works that are accessible and open for interpretation. This work with religious and psychological undertones presents a figure in dread made obvious by its hollow eyes and facial expression, holding a cross close to her face, just enough to lick its surface, seemingly symbolizing one’s desire for comfort or relief that religion or spirituality offers. The dark portrait also dramatizes inner turbulence and gives us a visual representation of the psyche. There is a sense of alienation, making one think about the existential dread in everyday life as well as how confronting emotions, experiences, and perversions, even fantasies, can help one get by Estimate in USD $4000-$5200
Leon Gallery
Mar. 24, 2019
Jojo Legaspi (b. 1959) Untitled, undated
Est: RM2,500 - RM4,000
Jojo Legaspi creates intriguing portraits that draw on his interests in psychology and memory. His pastel drawings express with a sense of great mystery and drama the internal conflict within the Philippine psyche, as he seems to experience it. Jojo Legaspi graduated from University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts in 1986. His solo exhibitions are: âPhilippines Contemporary Art - Jose Legaspiâ, Soka Art Center, Beijing, China (2013), âThe Drawing Roomâ, Makati City, Manila, Philippines (2012). Selected group exhibitions and fairs include: âThe Islands of the Day Beforeâ, Kuandu Museum of Fine Arts, Taipei, Taiwan (2013), âEarth and Elsewhere: Contemporary Works from the Collection - Queensland Art Galleryâ, Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane, Australia (2013), âBeyond The Self: Contemporary Portraiture from Asiaâ, The Anne & Gordon Samstag Museum of Art, Adelaide, Australia (2012), âStories of Dreams and Realitiesâ, Rossi & Rossi Ltd, London, UK (2011), âBeyond The Selfâ, National Portrait Gallery, Canberra, Australia (2011), âContemporary Art from Southeast Asiaâ, Arario Cheonan, Cheonan-si, Korea, Seoul (2010), âDorodoro, Doron. The Uncanny World in Folk and Contemporary Art in Asiaâ, and Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art,Japan (2009). 30 x 22cm
Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers
Sep. 08, 2018
Jojo Legaspi (b.1959)
Est: ₱600,000 - ₱780,000
Jojo Legaspi (b.1959) Untitled The dystopian and provocative works by Jojo Legaspi clashes with the mainstream views on religion, sex and gender identity by Philippine society. In this work, Legaspi parodied the famous Renaissance mural Resurrection by Pinturicchio featuring Pope Alexander VI (1431-1503) located within the Borgia Apartments in the Vatican. In replacing the regal imagery of the pontiff, the artist revises the narrative from that of celibate priest, to a lascivious predator under the guise of false piety. Evidenced in this work is the partaking of the Holy Communion, an important sacrament in the Catholic liturgy that with his garments fully disrobed and is adulterated to resemble the receiving of a sexual act. The provocation of this work aims to titillate the senses and arouse the emotions and belief systems of a generally conservative society be drawn into their bewilderment, as which the artist will be satisfied and have the final laugh. signed (lower right) mixed media 40”x 28” (102 cm x 71 cm)
Leon Gallery
Mar. 03, 2018
Jojo Legaspi (b.1959) Untitled
Est: ₱400,000 - ₱520,000
Jojo Legaspi (b.1959) Untitled signed (lower right) mixed media
Leon Gallery