Arnold Lalongisip (b. 1987)
Birch Tree
signed and dated 2020 (lower right)
acrylic on canvas
48" x 96" (122 cm x 244 cm)


Accompanied by a certificate issued by Art Undergroundand signed by the artist confirming the authenticity of this lot

EXHIBITEDThe Link Ayala Center, Art Fair Philippines 2020,Makati City, February 21 - 23, 2020


The creative praxis of rising contemporary realist artist Arnold Lalongisip revolves around the distillation of a subject matter to its fundamental substance, effectively engaging the viewer through a process of deep musing. His works are considered products of his meditative attitude towards the treatment of various subject matters. Thus, his art borders on the surreal and the real. Birch Tree forms part of the artist’s exhibition for Art Fair Philippines 2020, titled Natures of Gray. Here, Lalongisip evokes an overall atmosphere of meditation through his employment of a gray palette. Reducing his color palette is a deliberate practice of engendering balance and neutrality, making us explore our introspective thoughts and become more in touch with our inner psyche. Here, Lalongisip focuses more on the personal and expressive facet of painting rather than its technicalities and conventions. Arnold Lalongisip is a Batangas-born artist. While formally trained at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines as an Electrical Engineering Student, Lalongisip found his passion and métier in the arts. He was among the grand prize winners in the 2011 edition of Vision Petron and was a finalist in the 2012 Metrobank Art and Design Excellence (MADE). Lalongisip is currently represented by Art Underground Manila, where he has mounted four successful solo exhibitions, including one at the Art Fair Philippines 2020 in Makati. His most recent show was with Leon Gallery International titled Simply Grey, held last April of the current year. (A.M.)