Market Scene
signed and dated 1985 (lower right)
oil on canvas
24" x 36" (61 cm x 91 cm)






The works of Antonio Mahilum have a startling cinematic quality to them. Having worked in billboard and movie advertising in the 1960s, Mahilum developed an art style with a sense of storytelling that bleeds into his works. This movie-like atmosphere is evident in his 1985 Market Scene.There is no evident "main character" in Market Scene – instead, the piece is a panoramic view of the palengke, giving an equal amount of attention to the women walking about and the children selling sampaguitas. This depiction of the rural scene takes a high perspective as though the viewer is peering from up high from a panning camera in the cinema. Market Scene shows the vibrant provincial life and community that it fosters.In the 1990s, a decade after Market Scene, Mahilum went on to create the illustrations of a book adaptation of Mariang Alimango, a Filipino Cinderella-esque fairytale. Though it will not be published, these pieces became one of his most popular, a series of works that would become ubiquitous to his provincial sensitivities. (Hannah Valiente)