Sublime strokes: Philippine Art market triumphs

CEBU, Philippines - Art has never been as vibrant in the Republic as now, and the latest installment of Art Fair Philippines at The Link is a resounding testament to that.

Celebrities, serious collectors, artistes and gallerinas mingled amongst fantabulous works of art at the Vernissage of the annual fair, and as one surveyed the scene, the most visible sign of how far Philippine art collecting has come was the ubiquitous red dots, denoting that a sale had been made, accompanying the exhibited artworks. And the fair hadn't even been opened to the public yet!

There was so much cash being spent left and right that one wondered: where was this cash flow coming from?  Is it, as an ING banker theorized, the fact that the Bank of Japan had imposed a negative interest rate, and therefore investors were fleeing capital markets and searching for higher yielding (and therefore riskier) alternatives?  Is it because the Philippine economy is so good, that the rich are awash in cash and have nowhere to park their funds in?  (It's a bit ironic that they were now finding themselves at a parking lot).  Whatever the reason, serious money was being spent, and we held on tight to our wine glasses as the night progressed.

True enough, when we went into the special section devoted to Daniel de la Cruz, all of his gorgeous sculptural pieces (except one) had already been snapped up!  And to think, the cheapest sculpture was listed at nearly half a million.

This year, Daniel dug deep into his private spiritual emotions and created a religious scriptures-based collection of the devoted in pews, in crucifixes, in the vespers, or at candle offertories.  Daniel bared to this Writer how he ordinarily kept his spirituality private, and this was the most extreme exposure of his innermost self that he had dared to bare.  The dim interiors, the hushed surroundings, and the eerie canonical chants playing in the background did much to complement the entire collection and deliver a sublimely emotional experience.

The Drawing Room kept it simple but spectacular with only three pieces from Mark Justiniani.  Listed from P3 to P5.7 million, the trio of light and mirrors were, once again, jaw dropping examples of Justiniani's virtuosity.  Think infinity and repetition, and that's what Justiniani captured expertly in his latest foray.

While it wasn't unusual for foreign galleries to exhibit at the Art Fair, what was unusual was that galleries from Japan and Hong Kong were, for the first time, present in Manila.  And indeed, it was a delight to see works by Yayoi Kusama and, oh, Yoshitomo Nara on sale within the shores of the Philippines.  I am a major fan of Nara, and have been keeping myself semi-abreast on his career, but since he is so unaffordable (by Philippine standards), I never even dared to ask how much his works were selling for.  A deceivingly simple grey and pastel woman with butterfly adornments by Japanese artist Atsuko Goto was already retailing at half a million pesos. Cough, cough.

Last year's foreign stand out, Nunu Fine Art, was back, and again, they emphasized the Filipino artists they had been carrying.  Maya Hewitt, a Filipina based in London, was prominently featured in the collection, but at prices like US$10,000, it may have to be awhile before one finds its way into my modest collection. One favorite was a woman surrounded by dressmakers, her white gown being appliqued with embellishments, her face passive amidst the hubbub.  Was she being married, or was she off to a funeral? Or both?

My favorite gallery from Bacolod, Orange Gallery, displayed an entire collection based on eyes, with a strict ash gray palette imposed on all the guest artists.  The brainwave of guru Charlie Co, it was fun to see almost all in his stable of artists like Raymond Legaspi, Junjun Montelibano, Doods Campos, Jay-r Delleva, Roderick Tijing, Maureen Austria, and Holtz Javier try to conform to Charlie's parameters.   And all in all, they succeeded in varying degrees, as the palette the guests experienced was properly somber and yet penetrating.

Xian Lim and Heart Evangelista, both famous actors trying their hand at art, were present, and limited samples of their works were available for sale.  Wild child Leeroy New had some usually weird winged chairs and deviled hearts.  Meanwhile, celebrities like Raymond Gutierrez, Tim Yap, and Rajo Laurel were seriously shopping.

Anyone who had the chance to drop in at The Link car park in Makati would have truly enjoyed the wealth of talent and genius that the Philippines boasts of.  As a testament to the development of Philippine art, Aquilizan had fashioned out a special tableaux, where the Mabini art scene, with its almost makeshift stalls, was recreated.  From such humble origins, giants like BenCab flourished, and today's art scene has much to be grateful for precisely because of this humble venue and the artists' perseverance.

In the midst of air-conditioned comfort, therefore, while strolling among bejeweled women and men in suits, the tableaux was a refreshing reminder that all this glamour would have been naught were it not for Mabini.  And so the question begged itself to be asked: where do we go then from here?  We anticipate the art future with bated breath and serious excitement.

The fair ran from February 18 to February 21. (FREEMAN)