PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF A VERY DISTINGUISHED COUPLE
Solar Valley
signed and dated 1976 (lower right and verso)
sponge painting, acrylic on canvas
30” x 24” (76 cm x 61 cm)
Accompanied by a certificate issued by Josefa Joya Baldovino confirming the authenticity of this lot
PROVENANCE: León Gallery, The Kingly Treasures Auction 2015,December 5, 2015, Lot 116



WRITE UPIn the field of Filipino Abstract Expressionism, perhaps no artist is lauded more than Jose T. Joya. Academically trained at the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts, Joya embarked for graduate school abroad, following in the footsteps of other Filipino artists whose trip abroad drastically inspired their artistic career going forward. “His trip in Europe helped him undergo a complete reorientation,” Leonidas V. Benesa stated in his book Drawings by Joya, “a reversal of attitude and of vision, a rejection of intellect in favor of intelligence, of mind in favor of imagination. He had to undergo this or else perish as an artistic entity and come home defeated by Europe.” Joya’s metamorphosis in Europe is not merely a change of technique but a total psychological change. He was gradually influenced by American abstraction and the emerging Philippine modernism. In this 1976 work entitled Solar Valley, the eventual National Artist shows off his mastery of the abstraction. His attention to color and texture takes the forefront as Solar Valley takes advantage of its complementary color scheme and overlapping layers of paint to create a cohesive piece. It is a vibrant and expressive piece that feels right at home with the rest of Joya’s oeuvre. Joya’s works have been included in the Philippine Art Gallery, the Venice Biennale, the Museum of Philippine Art, the National Museum, and the Ayala Museum. (Hannah Valiente)