Malaysia
Seberang Takir
Yeoh Jin Leng
1964
Oil on canvas
80 x 59.5 cm
Yeoh Jin Leng
1964
Oil on canvas
80 x 59.5 cm
Arising I
Wong Perng Fey
2002
Oil on canvas
172 x 240 cm
Wong Perng Fey
2002
Oil on canvas
172 x 240 cm
Indonesia
Buffalo Family
Lee Man Fong
1952
Oil on board
48 x 80 cm
Lee Man Fong was a painter very fond of adopting the water buffalo as his subject. He belonged to the buffalo character according to the Chinese horoscope. Regarding the animal, Lee believed that patience, forbearance, and the willingness to work were its main characters. He adopted them for his principles in living out his life. Hence, his paintings of buffalos invariably feel wholehearted. This painting of Buffalo Family, showing a couple of buffalos and their young one, is among Lee Man Fong’s works of very considerable qualities on the particular subject.
Lee Man Fong
1952
Oil on board
48 x 80 cm
Lee Man Fong was a painter very fond of adopting the water buffalo as his subject. He belonged to the buffalo character according to the Chinese horoscope. Regarding the animal, Lee believed that patience, forbearance, and the willingness to work were its main characters. He adopted them for his principles in living out his life. Hence, his paintings of buffalos invariably feel wholehearted. This painting of Buffalo Family, showing a couple of buffalos and their young one, is among Lee Man Fong’s works of very considerable qualities on the particular subject.
Cockfight
Affandi
1980
Oil on canvas
140 x 90 cm
“I always break into tears on seeing a fighter cock die. Before it is made to fight, the owner caresses it, gives certain feed to make it fit and strong, and cherishes it. Ironic. My painting of the fighting cock is a visual version of blues music,” Affandi recounted. Affandi's paintings that show cocks fighting are meant to refer symbolically to human's inclination toward blood and death.
Affandi
1980
Oil on canvas
140 x 90 cm
“I always break into tears on seeing a fighter cock die. Before it is made to fight, the owner caresses it, gives certain feed to make it fit and strong, and cherishes it. Ironic. My painting of the fighting cock is a visual version of blues music,” Affandi recounted. Affandi's paintings that show cocks fighting are meant to refer symbolically to human's inclination toward blood and death.
Philippines
La Banca (The Boat)
Félix Resurrección Hidalgo
1876
Oil on canvas
66 x 102 cm
Showing an early morning scene in the country, two women, one accompanied by a child, step aboard a native boat, known as the banca. The deep reds and rich blues of the women's dresses make them stand out as everything else are coloured in earthy tones. A mist covers the background that makes the figures' silhouettes even clearer, in particular the elegantly dressed lady of wealth. Though she is not placed in the centre, she is the focal point of Hidalgo's interest, her mysteriousness and secrecy making her even more captivating.
Félix Resurrección Hidalgo
1876
Oil on canvas
66 x 102 cm
Showing an early morning scene in the country, two women, one accompanied by a child, step aboard a native boat, known as the banca. The deep reds and rich blues of the women's dresses make them stand out as everything else are coloured in earthy tones. A mist covers the background that makes the figures' silhouettes even clearer, in particular the elegantly dressed lady of wealth. Though she is not placed in the centre, she is the focal point of Hidalgo's interest, her mysteriousness and secrecy making her even more captivating.
Planting Rice with Mayon Volcano
Fernando Amorsolo
1949
Oil on canvas
70 x 101 cm
Planting Rice with Mayon Volcano shows the dalagang bukid (country maiden) in the rice fields, hard at work with other peasants. The painting is located against the recognisable geological features of Mayon, an active volcano whose destructive eruptions also produce rich soil for rice planting. The rice maiden emerges as the heroine of the day, embodying the fertility of the land. Although the peasants are imbued with a quiet dignity, the “Beautiful Land” paintings by Amorsolo are also heavily romanticised and picture the Philippines as a glorious and rural idyll. These images of a pastoral paradise also glossed over the rampant feudal exploitation in which land ownership was held in the hands of only a few wealthy families.
Fernando Amorsolo
1949
Oil on canvas
70 x 101 cm
Planting Rice with Mayon Volcano shows the dalagang bukid (country maiden) in the rice fields, hard at work with other peasants. The painting is located against the recognisable geological features of Mayon, an active volcano whose destructive eruptions also produce rich soil for rice planting. The rice maiden emerges as the heroine of the day, embodying the fertility of the land. Although the peasants are imbued with a quiet dignity, the “Beautiful Land” paintings by Amorsolo are also heavily romanticised and picture the Philippines as a glorious and rural idyll. These images of a pastoral paradise also glossed over the rampant feudal exploitation in which land ownership was held in the hands of only a few wealthy families.
An Encounter on the Road to Fantasy
Emmanuel Garibay
1993
Oil on canvas
149 x 183 cm
An Encounter on the Road to Fantasy, staged along Manila’s infamous traffic jam-prone highways, plays out a narrative about the social conditions of urban Manila. Here, the luxury car is the vehicle – literally and symbolically – for his social message is about the severe disparity of wealth and pervasive hopelessness of those mired in poverty. A young child, with infant in arms, begs for alms but is sharpy rebuffed by the wealthy occupants of the car. The swirling clouds, garish reds and oranges, distorted perspective and claustrophobia conjure up a hellish dream, but for the urban poor, there is little escape from the nightmare of everyday reality.
Emmanuel Garibay
1993
Oil on canvas
149 x 183 cm
An Encounter on the Road to Fantasy, staged along Manila’s infamous traffic jam-prone highways, plays out a narrative about the social conditions of urban Manila. Here, the luxury car is the vehicle – literally and symbolically – for his social message is about the severe disparity of wealth and pervasive hopelessness of those mired in poverty. A young child, with infant in arms, begs for alms but is sharpy rebuffed by the wealthy occupants of the car. The swirling clouds, garish reds and oranges, distorted perspective and claustrophobia conjure up a hellish dream, but for the urban poor, there is little escape from the nightmare of everyday reality.
Hanapbuhay (Livelihood)
Melvin Culaba
1997
Oil on canvas
179 x 196 cm
In this work, the claustrophobia of teeming, faceless figures evoke the congestion of life in the crowded city and the struggles of ordinary people as they seek to earn a livelihood. An overall sense of despair pervades the work, but a small glimmer of hope may be discerned in the dove at the top, symbolic of the Holy Spirit, and of peace.
Melvin Culaba
1997
Oil on canvas
179 x 196 cm
In this work, the claustrophobia of teeming, faceless figures evoke the congestion of life in the crowded city and the struggles of ordinary people as they seek to earn a livelihood. An overall sense of despair pervades the work, but a small glimmer of hope may be discerned in the dove at the top, symbolic of the Holy Spirit, and of peace.