Ang Kiukok (1931 - 2005)
Seated Figure
signed and dated 1983 (lower right)
pen and ink on paper
11 1/2" x 8 3/4" (29 cm x 22 cm)


Accompanied by a certificate issued by Finale Art Fileconfirming the authenticity of this lot




This piece is a prominent example of Ang Kiukok's figurative works from the 1980s that showcase his exploration of the many aspects of human despair using his Cubist-inspired aesthetics. The piece exudes the very essence of Kiukok's depiction of melancholia. It possesses a claustrophobic atmosphere, as depicted in the solitary figure of a man with both his hands propped against his head, signifying the pain and suffering associated with excessive anxiety. When asked why he often visually expressed desolation in his art, he replied, "Why not? Open your eyes. Look around you. So much anger, sorrow, ugliness, and also madness." Having trained under the Filipino Cubist master Vicente Manansala, Kiukok developed a distinctive style characterized by compelling visual metaphors alluding to human despair. The artist masterfully consolidates Cubism, Expressionism, and Surrealism into a work that serves as a vessel of suffering and torment, thus exhibiting Kiukok's artistic impulse to depict an atmosphere of suffocating anguish powerfully. (A.M.)