By Ces Oreña-Drilon
It was another record-smashing year for the Philippine art market in 2022, thanks to the trendsetting León Gallery.
Fourteen world records were broken and re-made for the creme de la creme of Filipino artists — plus an awesome Philippine record for international painter Ronald Ventura.
Despite competition from “revenge travel” to luxury destinations, and the acquisition of sought-after “golden passports” in countries such as Spain and Portugal, the appetite of Manila’s super-rich for art was as healthy as ever.
“Maybe the key word when you talk about the strong demand for art is that art is “museum-worthy,’” noted Jaime Ponce de Leon. “What we’ve seen, even in the pandemic, is that great art will always have a great market.”
“I really don’t think travel nor new homes compete with the buying of art. I always say going out of your comfort zone to see new things cultivates a taste for art; and so does seeing beautiful places and visiting museums,” he said.
“One of the biggest collection-building moments in the country was in post-war Manila. It was a time for re-building and that meant new homes and offices that needed new art and artists. Post-pandemic, we’re in a similar state of re-building,” Ponce de Leon added.
He said auctions give collectors (even the most seasoned) the chance to acquire art that has been vetted, selected, and curated by some of the country’s greatest eyes.
As expected, old money names dominated 2022’s auction offerings at León Gallery.
These included the Quimsons, Zaragozas, Aranetas — as well as sterling cultural caretakers in the vanguard such as Roberto Villanueva and Leticia Ramos Shahani, and the Philippine Art Gallery.
Nene Quimson strikes a pose with her Betsy Westendorp portrait.
Don Beniting Legarda, one of the collectors of Manila’s old world
Provenance was the secret sauce that laced several world-record holders, particularly demonstrated from the collection of the legendary society hostess Nene Quimson. Paintings that once glowed in her various mansions in Manila, New York and London sparked spirited bidding : A bouquet of wild orchids as large as a garden by Doña Nene’s bosom buddy, Betsy Westendorp, romped off with almost P18 million; while a Juan Luna of a harem beauty being serenaded by a Nubian slave in “Odalisca”, fetched nearly P12 million. All these made global milestones for the artists.
This untitled oil painting by Betsy Westendorp sold for P17.52M
Juan Luna’s Odalisca was auctioned off for P11.68M
The biggest art story of the year was the return of Fernando Zobel’s “Siga-Siga” to its original owner, Iñigo Zobel. It was this jaunty image of a Manila cigarette boy, titled “Siga-Siga” that underline the fact that an artwork’s origin story can be as tantalizing as the fame of the artist. This work sold for P44 million, a new world record for the artist.
Siga-Siga by Fernando Zobel was bought back by its original owner for an eye-popping P44.38M
Ventura’s weeping effigy of giant horse in tears, titled “Blind Mechanism”, was the biggest sale of the year, at P57 million (or over $1million).
Blind Mechanism by Ronald Ventura, exhibited by the artist in 2003 when he was named one of the 13 artists of the year by CCP, sold for P57.23M
Hernando R. Ocampo’s “Fifty-Five A” came in second. This complex work from mid-century modern’s pioneering artist once belonged to his best friend and fellow journalist, Jose Zaide. This art work went for P48 million, after a spirited bidding, topping H.R.’s previous world record that was also set at Leon Gallery.
HR Ocampo’s Fifty-Five “A” was snatched for P47.88M
Meanwhile, the living masters, Danilo Dalena, Ramon Orlina as well as Jose “John” Santos and enfant terrible Jigger Cruz likewise racked up world records.
Danilo Dalena’s Quiapo sold for P18.68M
Jose John Santos III, Papeweight 1 sold for P18.104M
Dalena’s visions of the Black Nazarene, titled “Quiapo”, tied with John Santos’ mystica “Paperweight 1” at P18 million; while Cruz’s “Blissful Throes in the Tune of a Lazy Afternoon” hit an eye-watering high of P12 million.
Jigger Cruz, Blissful Thrones in the Tune of a Lazy Afternoon, sold at P11.68M
Other contemporary artists who hit it big were Romulo Galicano, who set a new record for his works at P9 million. This was matched neatly by a work on canvas from the lyrical Batanes series by Pacita Abad, who is gaining international recognition.
Romulo Galicano’s Poor Man’s Meal ( Homage to the Potato Eater by Vincent Van Gogh) sold for P9.34M
Pacita Abad, Tevan Galano (Batanes Series) sold for P9.34M
Social realist hero Emmanuel Garibay’s Kasama which sold for P6 million and abstractionist Bernard Pacquing’s Angel which sold for P3.5 million, also set world record levels, reflecting their status in the market and the difficulty of finding their works on the gallery circuit.
A surprise discovery was Venancio Igarta, one of the country’s most undervalued moderns, who made his mark with his own personal best at nearly P2 million.
Emmanuel Garibay, Kasama sold for P6.42M
Bernardo Pacquing, Angel sold for P3.50M
Venancio Igarta, Bamboo sold for P1.63M
Other culture heroes such as original PAG patrons journalist Jim Austria and architect Leo Coronel, former Education Secretary Alejandro Roces, builder Jorge Ramos as well as old-rich names such as Benito Legarda, collecting cousins Geny and Tiking Lopez, and J. Antonio Araneta added prestige to art offered at León Gallery
Victorio Edades’ “Poinsettia Girl” also scored a world record for the artist at P23 million. Ramon Orlina’s world-best record was likewise set at P16 million for a glittering vision of Mt. Makiling.
Victorio Edades, Poinsettia Girl sold for P23.36M
Mt Makiling II by Ramon Orlina sold for P15.76M
“The purchasing power of Manila’s collectors was propelled further by what the auction world calls “marquee” offerings, artworks of the best quality from the country’s best collectors,” Ponce de Leon said.
