Acclaimed Filipino contemporary artist Ronald Ventura takes center stage as his monumental painting Second Skin (2009) headlines the 2024 edition of The Well-Appointed Life auction by Salcedo Auctions in Manila. The oil-on-canvas work, measuring 213 x 152 cm, carries an estimate of PHP 12,000,000 to PHP 15,000,000, underscoring Ventura’s status as one of the leading figures in Southeast Asian contemporary art.
Second Skin depicts a cloth-wrapped monochromatic figure set against a vivid field of pop culture-inspired imagery, including references to Japanese Ukiyo-e and Western cartoons. This contrast suggests identity as a surface constantly rewritten by external influences—Spanish, American, Japanese colonial legacies, and modern consumer culture. The painting debuted in Ventura’s 2009 U.S. solo show Metaphysics of Skin at Tyler Rollins Fine Art in New York, marking his international breakthrough, while his 2021 painting State of Bloom later set a HK$36.6 million Southeast Asian auction record at Christie’s Hong Kong.
Alongside Ventura, the auction features contemporary works by Jill Paz—who reinterprets her ancestor Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo’s legacy through digital processes—Don Salubayba, and Zean Cabangis, each blending narrative, mythology, geometry, and abstraction.
The Well-Appointed Life live and online auction takes place Saturday, September 14, 2024, at 2:00 p.m., with bidding available both onsite and through Salcedo Auctions’ digital platforms. Preview the works at NEX Tower, 6786 Ayala Avenue, Makati City (daily 9AM-6PM until September 13). Full catalog and registration are available at the Salcedo Auctions website.
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