Ang Kiukok

Private Collection, France

The work is in good condition overall. Upon close observation, gentle networks of craquelures are visible across the surface but the condition is stable. There is evidence of pin-sized paint losses on the bottom left quadrant (red paint), the figure's shin area (bottom portion) and finger nail (top right quadrant). Examination under ultraviolet light shows a tiny area of restoration on the top border (top left corner), but this is not visible with the naked eye. Framed.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The present lot titled Seated Figure is a strong example of Ang Kiukok’s figurative works from the mid-1980s that highlight his vigorous experimentation with abstraction and perspective. Having trained under the Filipino master Vicente Manansala, who was himself greatly influenced by Picasso, Kiukok developed a distinctive artistic style characterised by strong colours, Cubist-inspired aesthetics, and his use of powerful visual allegories.

Here, a lone figure sits with an arm wrapped around its propped-up leg, its body an angular collection of reds, yellows and browns framed against the solid blue of the background. The stark contrast of warm and cool colours reflects the expressionistic influence in Kiukok’s artistic style, although he tempers that influence by imposing structure upon the human figure’s form—it remains mostly rational and ordered, juxtaposed against the dislocation of its own head.

In this work, one sees Kiukok’s interpretation of the academic nude study through the lens of his visual language. He abstracts the human form by intensifying colour and distorting its composition—the sideways-bent head is particularly reminiscent of Ecuadorian painter Oswaldo Guayasamin’s skeletal figures. The figure’s interlocking limbs merge together around its torso, and the tension caused by the intersecting lines of its body heightens the emotional intensity of the work.  

Enigmatic yet possessing an undeniable charisma, the present lot is a singular example of how Kiukok synthesised elements of Cubism, Expressionism, and Surrealism into his distinct artistic language. As an artist he did not shy away from portraying themes and emotions that dealt with the darker complexities of humanity; instead, his artistic visions sublimate and meditate on the nature of the human condition. It is his unflinching portrayal of the full spectrum of emotions—joy and sorrow, love and loss, pleasure and suffering-- defining human existence that lends his art its innate sense of pathos.