Filipino artist Arturo Luz (b.1926) was one of the founders of the modern Neo-Realist style in Philippine art.Though he used several styles and techniques, he was primarily influenced by Modernist Paul Klee. Arturo Luz's artworks, usually in oil or acrylic paint, were abstract figural or architectural pieces. In the 1950s, he used geometric shapes to create a series of carnival paintings.
Artist Arturo Luz was the Founding Director of the Metropolitan Museum of Manila in 1976, and worked there for 10 years. In 1997, he was recognized as the National Artist in Visual Arts by the Philippine government. At auction Arturo Luz paintings' prices for originals continue to increase; prices can also vary by size and medium. Purchase a variety of unique abstract prints for sale online and create your own fine art gallery.
Kyoto 1 signed (lower left) print and collage 17 1/2” x 11 1/2” (44 cm x 29 cm) Arturo Luz’s art saw a series of phases and changes, jumping from one technique to another. During the 1960s, Luz began working with collages, characterized by sticking cut pieces of paper to a surface to create an image, then overlaying them with acrylic paint. This method gives his paintings a physical texture. Kyoto I belongs to his Kyoto series, a collection of acrylic collage on paper or canvas created between 2000 and 2014. Luz uses squares and rectangles to copy traditional Japanese roofs and temples, highlighting his love for clean, geometric shapes inspired by his travels. Moreover, this piece showcases his spatial intelligence and discipline in aesthetic restraint; despite the minimalist nature of his canvases, his masterful employment of forms and colors fills the void left by bare spaces. (Jessica Magno)
Blue dated 1999 acrylic on canvas 36" x 24" (91 cm x 61 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Ms. Luisa Luz-Lansigan confirming the authenticity of this lot Presenting a masterpiece that clearly defines his mature art style, Arturo Luz’s Blue attempts to distill visual experience into its most essential relationships: line, edge, and color. Fully embracing the artistic philosophy of stripping down the elements to essentials, where the brown ground and irregular blue shape classes create a stark contrast—a dynamic equilibrium. Dated to 1999, Luz showcases an abstraction in which the blue dominates the canvas. However, its color is modulated and atmospheric, while earthy brown shades act as a grounding counterweight to the eye-catching color of the former. The jagged boundary between the colors creates a tension throughout the abstraction, further pushing Luz’s interest in geometry derived from observation but reduced to essentials. Exemplifying his mature modernist language: quiet, intellectual, disciplined yet visually evocative. (Mark John Castañeda)
Cities of The Past signed (lower left) dated 2015 acrylic on canvas 24" x 32" (61 cm x 81 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Ms. Luisa Luz-Lansigan confirming the authenticity of this lot Arturo Luz’s Cities of the Past series is a result of his pilgrimage to the temple sites of Asia. From the historical sites of Thailand to the temples in India, Luz builds upon the beauty of the magnificent architecture he encountered in this sojourn series, resulting in cities emerging in intricate lines of white reminiscent of the powerful, historical essence these buildings evoke. This particular Cities of the Past feature showcases Luz’s signature exact lines and pitch-black background, forcing viewers to look not at the minute details but at the architectural beauty itself. Like many of the works from this series, Cities of the Past extracted the majesty of what he saw into minimalist distillations of the place’s very soul, creating a work that is both nostalgic and ideal. (Hannah Andrea Valiente)
Variation on the Juggler Theme signed (lower right) dated 1997 acrylic on canvas 60" x 48" (152 cm x 122 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Ms. Luisa Luz-Lansigan confirming the authenticity of this lot PROVENANCE Artist's collection Arturo Luz's 1997 Variation of the Juggler Theme presents a beautiful minimal masterpiece that fully embodies his controlled geometry and spatial relationships. Further exploring how form balance and movement can be endlessly organized to create art with a quiet, intense visual tension despite its simplicity of form. A revisitation to his iconic Juggler motifs. Mirroring his lifelong fascination with balance, precision, motion, and rhythm, its composition is built from strokes of thin straight lines, perfect arcs and circles, and sharp triangular forms that seem to assemble in an organized manner against a deep background. Instead of depicting the actual human body, Luz emphasizes the movement and performance by orchestrating geometric patterns on the piece. Giving it a moving impression of a person tossing and catching juggling balls. The circles represent the balls and the item's movement as it is tossed, along with triangular and straight linear structures that manifest limb movement and imply balance, coordination, and controlled motion. This results in a masterpiece that exudes elegance and poetry through its visual choreography. A form of dance reduced to mathematical and geometrical form. By 1997, Luz's abstraction had been refined and minimal, with this painting nearly purified into symbols and spatial tensions rather than visible figurations. And yet despite its bare reductions, Luz had successfully maintained the human presence of the Juggler as a representation of movement, rhythm, balance, and coordination. Transforming geometric elements into something elegant, contemplative, and alive. This art piece can be seen not only as a representation of balance and motion through geometric arrangements but also as a study of discipline. Harmony and motion. Visually and eternally held in perfect suspension. (Mark John Castañeda)
Modula 2012 wood H: 34" (86 cm) L: 11 1/4" (29 cm) W: 11 1/4" (29 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Ms. Luisa Luz-Lansigan confirming the authenticity of this lot PROVENANCE Private collection, Manila Known for his minimalist, geometric masterpieces that consistently deliver a consistent style of elegance and discipline, Arturo Luz continues to reshape Filipino visual art through abstraction and order through this featured art piece, providing a strong example of his mastery, which made him recognized as a pioneer of Philippine Modernism. Clarity in form, disciplined composition, and a quiet sense of rhythm, Luz presents a wooden craft constructed from interlocking geometric volumes. Rectangular and curved semi-cylindrical forms are intertwined together in a visual rhythm as the curved forms repeat throughout the totem-like piece. Reducing the subject to its essential shapes, Luz introduces the masterpiece as a controlled, almost mathematically measured sculpture rather than a chaotic or expressive carving—showing its strengths in restraint rather than expression and thus, establishing a contemplative and almost meditative quality. With the work feeling solid, elegant, and carefully orchestrated despite its simplicity, Luz invites a slow viewing experience, allowing one’s gaze to digest the relationship between the shapes as it moves around the surface, revealing the National Artist’s mastery of precise control over form and spiritual harmony. (Mark John Castañeda)
Celebration I signed (lower right) dated 1980 white collage 48" x 36" (122 cm x 91 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Ms. Luisa Luz-Lansigan confirming the authenticity of this lot PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist Apainter, designer, printmaker, and sculptor, Arturo Luz was one of the leading lights in Philippine art history. His artistic journey results from his unwavering dedication to learning and development. Despite starting drawing at age seventeen and at a time of disturbance and destruction, Luz nevertheless worked toward his goal of being an artist. He experimented with different styles and mediums and explored various themes, producing diverse art pieces—sketches, oil and acrylic paintings, sculptures, and many more. In Cid Reyes’s monograph on the artist, Luz reminisced on the specific moment he decided to become an artist. It was during the war, one hot and lazy but rather fateful day in their residence in Pasay, that he just, without provocation, sketched his mother’s face. “It was the very first drawing I ever made in my life. From that moment on, I said to myself: I am going to be an artist,” shared Luz. He said it with so much conviction that, soon after the war ended, Luz started studying art in earnest. Studying in the time of Amorsolo and being mentored by his brother Pablo, Luz’s early paintings adhered to traditionalism. In the 1950s, he delved deeper into the world of abstraction—the beginning of his simplistic linear and geometric works, minimizing his figures into their most basic forms—and created his celebrated Carnival series. This style was the precursor to his later shift to minimalism, where he abandoned figurative painting and embraced a more straightforward, linear form with a limited palette. The 1960s marked another shift in Luz’s painting style. This time, he began working with collages, characterized by sticking cut pieces of paper in different shapes on a surface and overlaying them with acrylic paint. In this period, Luz also started transitioning to pure non-objective art. The work at hand, Celebration I, was a white collage work from 1980. Here, Luz depicted the rather solemn quality of a celebration, a stark contrast to his usual celebration and carnival-themed works that burst with colors. Against a clouded white background, Luz placed two squares–black and gold–in the middle with arbitrary splatters of black paint across the canvas. Notably, his chosen palette added a sophisticated and elegant allure to this piece. As a person, Luz resembles his paintings: quiet, unassuming, witty, and profound—quite a combination of his parents’ characteristics. Moreover, his skilled utilization of space came from his mother, an intelligent interior designer, despite being unable to go to college. “Using common sense, she would turn anything into an object of beauty… Everything she did showed a certain elegance,” says Luz. While Luz’s earlier works were rooted in realism, his succeeding paintings took a bold leap into abstraction, culminating in his distinctive geometric style. His oeuvre became known for its straightforwardness, characterized by linear forms and a restrained palette. His matted, minimalist compositions of bare spaces punctuated by linear forms have earned him a place among the most sought-after Filipino artists. In 1997, Arturo Luz was bestowed a National Artist for Visual Arts Award, the country’s highest accolade in the arts. (Jessica Magno)
PROPERTY FROM THE VIC SALTA COLLECTION Black Collage signed (lower left) dated 2000 acrylic on wood 30” x 24” (76 cm x 61 cm) Accompanied by a certificate signed by Mrs. Luisa Luz Lansigan confirming the authenticity of this lot In the same vein as his ‘Cities of the Past’ series, Arturo Luz’s Jaipur translates the capital of Rajasthan, India, into minimalist distillations of the city’s architecture. However, instead of using straight lines like his usual Cities of the Past works, Jaipur features chunkier, paper-like textures in a pitch-black background. The result is a timeless callback to the sublime beauty of the past, the elegant precision that Luz brought to the piece, transforming his view into a testament to the place’s rich historical background. (Hannah Andrea Valiente)
PROPERTY FROM THE VIC SALTA COLLECTION Jaipur signed (lower left) dated 1999 indian handmade paper 14 1/2” x 10 3/4” (37 cm x 27 cm) Accompanied by a certificate signed by Mrs. Luisa Luz Lansigan confirming the authenticity of this lot In the same vein as his ‘Cities of the Past’ series, Arturo Luz’s Jaipur translates the capital of Rajasthan, India, into minimalist distillations of the city’s architecture. However, instead of using straight lines like his usual Cities of the Past works, Jaipur features chunkier, paper-like textures in a pitch-black background. The result is a timeless callback to the sublime beauty of the past, the elegant precision that Luz brought to the piece, transforming his view into a testament to the place’s rich historical background. (Hannah Andrea Valiente)
Cyclist signed and dated 1962 (lower right) graphite on paper 23" x 35" (58 cm x 89 cm) Accompanied by a certificate signed by Luisa Luz-Lansigan confirming the authenticity of this lot
a.) Musicians signed (lower right) ca.1960 pen and ink on paper 11 3/4” x 16 1/2” (30 cm x 42 cm) b.) Musicians signed (lower right) ca.1960 pen and ink on paper 11 3/4” x 16 1/2” (30 cm x 42 cm) Each piece is accompanied by a certificate signed by Mrs. Luisa Luz Lansigan confirming the authenticity of this lot Arturo Luz is best known for his simplistic, geometric abstractions with a limited palette. Despite the minimalist nature of his canvases, Arturo Luz’s masterful use of forms and colors fills the void left by bare spaces, showcasing his spatial intelligence and discipline in aesthetic restraint. However, behind these works are even simpler, yet complex, compositions: his sketches. These two pen and ink drawings could have served as preliminary studies for his subsequent performer- or carnival-themed paintings, or just plain, random sketches. Nonetheless, it shows the artist’s ingenuity, integrity, and commitment to his craft. (Jessica Magno).
Rajasthan Palace signed (lower left) dated 2003 acrylic on canvas 24" x 36" (61 cm x 91 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by The Luz Gallery and signed by the artist confirming the authenticity of this lot 1988 proved to be central for the next few years in Arturo Luz’s career. With time on his hands — he had resigned from his post at the Design Center of the Philippines, the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, and the Museum of Philippine Art in three years — he embarked on a sojourn visiting several Asian heritage sites. From Angkor Wat in Cambodia, to the Borobudur in Indonesia, to even the temples in South Asia, the magnificent sights he had encountered sowed the seeds for a new series, his “Cities of the Past,” to blossom from its inspiration. The 2003 Rajasthan Palace translates one of the many palaces in northwestern India. He deconstructs this architectural wonder and strips it down to its barest essentials, a landscape that is both familiar and foreign. “From the magnificence of mighty skyscrapers to the coziness of pedestrian streets, his artwork portrays the vividness of human settlement in all its complexity,” an article about this series published in Singularts writes. “By employing his signature minimalist style, Luz compresses the bustle and forever charm of cities into a series of recollections tracing the psychological states and narratives of each town.” (Hannah Valiente)
Black and White Forms #1 mahogany, plywood and lampakanay bed tray: H: 12 3/4” (32 cm) L: 14 1/2” (37 cm) W: 12” (30 cm) PROVENANCE: Rustan’s for the Arts
Homage to Isamu Noguchi # 71 stainless steel in silver finish H: 4” (10 cm) L: 4” (10 cm) W: 4” (10 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Ms. Luisa Luz-Lansigan confirming the authenticity of this lot
PROPERTY OF A DISTINGUISHED LADY Homage to Isamu Noguchi #92/100 2015 metal tube in black finish H: 8” (20 cm) L: 9 1/2” (24 cm) W: 7” (18 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by The Crucible Gallery confirming the authenticity of this lot
a.) Untitled hand-signed (lower right) intaglio, 2/20 26” x 17 1/2” (66 cm x 44 cm) b.) Untitled hand-signed (lower right) intaglio, 3/20 26 1/4” x 17 3/4” (67 cm x 45 cm)
Trio Cycling signed (lower right) dated 2012 acrylic on canvas 22" x 26" (56 cm x 66 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Ms. Luisa Luz-Lansigan confirming the authenticity of this lot PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist Arturo Luz's artistic journey took a significant turn following his Asian sojourn. This experience, rich with new influences and cultural insights, became a catalyst for the revival of his artistic fervor. Combining his unyielding skills, past knowledge, and new experiences, he dedicated the remaining years of his life to art making Trio Cycling was painted in 2012, at the artist's old age of 86. Still, it bears Luz's penchant for minimalism and finesse. With just lines and circles strategically stitched together, Luz portrayed three cyclists performing their stunt expertly and gracefully, exuding a sense of energy and movement. They were especially highlighted by the National Artist's genius colorism, which involved painting his figures in black and white and placing them against a brilliant red background. Despite his inclination to minimalism, Luz is a master of creating linear figures to complement bare spaces, adding a dynamic demeanor to his works. (Jessica Magno)
PROPERTY FROM THE DON VICENTE “TIKING” H. LOPEZ COLLECTION Untitled dedicated and signed "To my good friend, Tiking Lopez with best wishes", July 1971 possibly done in the 1950’s oil on wood 23" x 36" (58 cm x 91 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Ms. Luisa Luz-Lansigan confirming the authenticity of this lot PROVENANCE A gift from the artist to Don Tiking Lopez This cow skull painting by Arturo Luz, although dedicated to Don Tiking Lopez in 1971, was credibly painted by the artist during the 1950s. The work at hand showcases a style highly evocative of Luz's early explorations of vendors, carnival figures, musicians, and still lifes rendered starkly yet possessing quite an array of colors and relatively robust figures, unlike his later depictions of the same subjects in the 1990s and beyond. This painting may have been created in the early 1950s, as seen in the deep and earthy colors evocative of the Mexican painter Rufino Tamayo, who was one of Luz's primary influences at the time. This characteristic can also be seen in the 1952 painting titled Man with Mandolin (Paulino and Hetty Que Collection), Two Women Singing (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Collection), and Candle Vendors (Esperanza Fricke Collection). Luz may have also been inspired by Georgia O’Keeffe’s skull paintings, encountering them during his art studies in the US in the late 1940s. O’Keeffe was a collector of bones found in the desert of New Mexico and was inspired by their haunting beauty and their powerful symbolisms connecting life and death—the circle of life. Furthermore, Luz abandoned figurative painting beginning in 1969, exploring a pure, non-objective visual language that was initially manifested through collages but soon turned into other art forms, including sculpture and burlap. Luz had felt that the subject matter was no longer important, and Roberto Chabet had influenced him to pursue collage, which for Luz was logically the first step to abandon figuration. Luz would again delve into figuration beginning in the early 1990s, resurrecting his earlier subjects but now in a more precise, rigid, and cold form of geometric abstraction. Regarding the inscription at the back, Luz may have culled this work from his personal collection and then gifted this painting to Don Tiking Lopez, who was named 1971’s “Art Patron of the Year” in recognition of his support for the young artists of the time, including Justin Nuyda, Ibarra de la Rosa, Angelito Antonio, Sofronio Y. Mendoza, and Antonio Austria. Luz may have seen the potent symbolism of the skull as a representation of human mortality and the profound wisdom and guidance that one acquires through age, much like Don Tiking’s legacy of patronage that will live on through the artists he bestowed with his generosity. (Adrian Maranan)
Black and White Quartet signed (lower left) dated 2009 acrylic on canvas 36" x 54" (91 cm x 137 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Ms. Luisa Luz-Lansigan confirming the authenticity of this lot Arturo Luz's penchant for minimalism and linear structure is manifested in this 2009 acrylic painting. After decades of exploration and experimentation with several materials, subjects, and techniques, the carnival theme found its way back to Luz's artistic portfolio. Black and White Quartet features a group of people engaged in a passionate performance. Despite the absence of his then-vibrant palette, the artist's skilled precision and mastery of the human form allow him to capture the radiance brought by the quartet. Essentially simplistic, Arturo Luz's compositions bear a tinge of finesse, earning him a place among the most sought-after Filipino artists. (Jessica Magno)
Homage to Gerardo Rueda signed (bottom) dated 1979 - 1980 steel 26 1/2" x 55 1/2" x 51" (67 cm x 141 cm x 130 cm) PROVENANCE Private collection, Manila León Gallery, The Asian Cultural Council Auction 2023, Makati City, 18 February 2023, Lot 100 LITERATURE Reyes, Cid. Arturo Luz. Makati City: Ayala Foundation and The Crucible for Globe Telecom, 1999. Full-color illustration and description on page 175.
Homage to Fernando Zóbel signed (bottom) dated 1979 - 1980 steel 34" x 81" x 42" (86 cm x 206 cm x 107 cm) PROVENANCE Private collection, Manila León Gallery, The Asian Cultural Council Auction 2023, Makati City, 18 February 2023, Lot 99 LITERATURE Reyes, Cid. Arturo Luz. Makati City: Ayala Foundation and The Crucible for Globe Telecom, 1999. Full-color illustration and description on page 174. In the late 1960s, Arturo Luz’s art took a sudden 360-degree turn. The circus performers, carnival forms, urban landscapes, and still lifes that had dominated Luz's canvases since the beginning of his art career were abandoned in a flash; not even vestiges of them can be discerned in Luz’s art in the years to come. Luz says of this decision: "Through the twenty years or so that I have been painting, it has always been at the back of my mind to work in a completely non-figurative, nonobjective style." In Cid Reyes' book on the artist, Luz reveals the catalyst for his decision to abandon figuration and explore sculpture. "I suddenly realized: Why do I insist on using a subject when my work was progressively becoming more and more linear and more and more abstract?... The important elements were line, composition, relationships. The second thing that occurred to me was: Why not do sculpture?... I knew I was good with my hands. I had a feeling for form, and I decided that my sculpture was going to be abstract. It was a natural move." Like his paintings, Luz's sculptures were first constructed from numerous studies and small-scale models. His sculptures, especially his monumental ones, were freestanding forms influenced by the Zen nature of spontaneity and intuition. Indeed, Japanese aesthetics left a lasting mark on Luz's three-dimensional works, mainly seen in Homage to Fernando Zóbel and Homage to Gerardo Rueda. Cid Reyes writes: "Another Japanese-derived inspiration of Luz was origami, the art of folding to create sculptural figures... Expectedly, Luz's treatment of origami was totally abstract, never even hinting vestigially at any form of reality. Folded into flat planes in irregular but rhythmic intervals, Luz composed felicitous configurations of striking simplicity. Reyes continues, "One piece entitled Homage to Fernando Zóbel alludes to Zóbel's penchant for working on a square canvas. As with all of Luz's sculptural works, the origami models were sent to the steel foundry executed by artisans in the prescribed material and style." Luz and Zóbel had been friends since the early 1950s, during their Philippine Art Gallery days. Hence, the piece is that unique moment where we witness their meeting—a dialogue between the two pioneers of non-objective art in the country as if spiritually conversing with each other. Luz also had that enduring admiration for Zóbel, deeming him "very exceptional." Homage to Fernando Zóbel can also be seen as Luz taking inspiration from Zóbel’s Dialogos. Meanwhile, Homage to Gerardo Rueda sees Luz evoking Rueda's monochromatic geometric forms that exhibit sublime austerity. Rueda was one of the founders of the Cuenca Group and the Museo de Arte Abstracto Español, alongside Gustavo Torner and Zóbel himself. These two works show the intersection of Luz, Zóbel, and Rueda, and how they all traversed the same paths as artists, each becoming a renowned stalwart of minimalist abstract art in their own right. (Adrian Maranan)
Sun and Sea signed (upper left) dated 1962 enamel on canvas 21 1/2" x 33 1/2" (55 cm x 85 cm) PROVENANCE The Luz Gallery Acquired directly from the artist LITERATURE Benesa, Leonidas V. "The New Paintings of Arturo Luz." Philippines Herald Newspaper (4 August 1962). Black-and-white illustration on page 24. EXHIBITED The Luz Gallery, Arturo Luz and Cenon Rivera (Two-Man Exhibition), Manila, 20 July - 10 August 1962 Arturo Luz's Sun and Sea formed part of a joint exhibition by Luz and Cenon Rivera, held at the then-two-year-old Luz Gallery from July to August 1962. The show was a farewell exhibition by the two artists, who were recipients of a one-year scholarship grant from the Italian government. The Luz-Rivera show was the first project sponsored by the then-newly organized Philippine– Italian Association, whose aims included the promotion and implementation of the cultural projects of the Italian Embassy in the Philippines. Luz's Italian grant entitled him to a full year in Rome to pursue graduate studies in painting and the graphic arts. Before proceeding to Italy, Luz had to go first to the United States in mid-August 1962 on a four-month observation tour of American museums and galleries, sponsored by the US State Department's Educational and Cultural Exchange Program. In the US, Luz observed recent developments in American art, intending to study exhibition techniques and effective gallery management from prominent American gallerists, and, in turn, applying them to the Philippines, especially for his own Luz Gallery, which by then had already succeeded the Philippine Art Gallery (PAG) as the country's sole professional gallery. Luz also visited the studios and workshops of leading American painters and printmakers. By the time Luz and Rivera were awarded their grants, two other Filipino artists were already in their third year of studies in Rome: Leon Pacunayen and Leonardo Hidalgo, whose grants were extended due to their excellent standings at the Accademia di Belle Arti. Another artist, Florencio B. Concepcion, had already spent one year in the city. For the exhibition, Luz was approached by the Philippine– Italian Association for a joint exhibit celebrating his and Rivera's study grants. The Association reportedly requested Luz to produce more than a dozen paintings and drawings in twenty days, to which a startled Luz initially hesitated. Nati Valentin, Luz's then fiancée, reported on her "All about art" column in The Manila Times dated 20 July 1962: "This is what Arturo Luz exclaimed when approached by the Philippine-Italian Association for a joint exhibit: 'What? Paint an exhibition in twenty days? Impossible! A single painting takes weeks!' But that is exactly what Luz has done. He has painted 20 paintings in as many days and finished some 30 new drawings! How did he disprove his own words? By momentum. Luz has been drawing like mad for the past three months…His one-painting-per-day feat proves that art is also largely discipline.” In Sun and Sea, Luz portrays a panoramic view of a seascape. At first glance, one might think of the scenery as nighttime, evident in Luz's use of black enamel paint. The sun's rays are rendered eccentrically, outlined in stark lines that are both playful and rigid. The sea waves are injected on the canvas in agitated flicks of bronze enamel similar to Jackson Pollock's drip paintings and Fernando Zóbel's Saetas. Colors are a full-on contrast with the subject matter. Luz instead uses a black and bronze color palette, with his lines acting as the principal actor in the painting (color merely becomes a backup). The result is a frenzy of motion, suggesting a bustling seascape teeming with marine escapades and coastal excursions. Luz also alludes to the Japanese concept of shibui, centering on the subtle and the silent. Luz once said in his 1956 book of drawings that his figures of acrobats, musicians, and carnival forms are an "attempt to communicate in graphic terms the color, Sun and Sea, in which linear energies and configurations speak more than the color itself—a mischievous coldness bordering on dry-wit humor and a graphic orderliness that is Luz's trademark. An article from the 30 July 1962 issue of The Manila Times tackling the said joint exhibition of Luz and Rivera particularly wrote on the former's works, noting: "Paradoxically, the principal theme of the new Luz drawings and paintings is celebration and gaiety, an effect achieved through drawing and composition, rather than the use of brilliant coloring. Effects are created through lightness of handling rather than the heavy-handed use of contrasts and intensities." (Adrian Maranan)
PROPERTY FROM THE PROFESSOR AMBETH OCAMPO COLLECTION Black Form ca. 1978 painted steel 36" x 36 1/4" x 54 1/4" (91 cm x 92 cm x 138 cm) *This work is accompanied by the 2004 exhibition brochure in which it appeared at the Ateneo Art Gallery. PROVENANCE Acquired directly from the artist LITERATURE Arturo Luz: Sculptures, Essay by Ambeth R. Ocampo, photographs by Neal M. Oshima, published by the Ateneo Art Gallery, 2004, full page black and white creative shot, page 33, EXHIBITED Museum of Modern Art, Arturo Luz, Manila, 1979 Ateneo Art Gallery, Arturo Luz: Sculptures, Quezon City, 2004 This is one of the original series of steel sculptures exhibited at the Museum of Philippine Art, and thus one of those special works created in Luz’s own lifetime and officially authorized by him. The works, in either black or white, were three-dimensional versions of the large mural “Black & White” that now hangs in the lobby of the Little Theater of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. They are part of Luz’ complex esthetic that has been described as “visual riddles that make up his Zen sensibility”, airy and light while being massive and solid. Luz commissioned these works from Lor Calma (a close friend and fellow sculptor), paying for them reportedly with an antique door from India that at the time was worth P100,000. (Lisa Guerrero Nakpil)
Objects from The Past signed (lower left) dated 1994 acrylic on canvas 24” x 40” (61 cm x 102 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Ms. Luisa Luz-Lansigan confirming the authenticity of this lot
Forms of Amusement I signed (lower right) dated 1993 acrylic painting collage 36” x 48” (91 cm x 122 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Ms. Luisa Luz- Lansigan confirming the authenticity of this lot
PROPERTY FROM THE ROD PARAS PEREZ COLLECTION a.) Diwata hand-signed and dated 1994 (lower right) woodcut print 250/250 9 3/4” x 12 3/4” (25 cm x 32 cm) b.) Study signed and dated 1976 (lower left) mixed media on paper 15” x 20” (38 cm x 51 cm) c.) Untitled hand-signed (lower left) print AP/ 2 5” x 5” (13 cm x 13 cm) d.) Pañuelo with Strawberries signed and dated 1992 (lower right) pen and ink on paper 51/2” x 4” (14 cm x 10 cm) e.) “The Man with No Name” (The Desaparocidos Series) hand-signed and dated 1987 (bottom) lithograph print 1/20 20 1/2” x 29 1/2” (52 cm x 75 cm)
a.) Untitled signed (lower right) mixed media on paper 11” x 8 3/4” (28 cm x 22 cm) b.) Untitled signed (lower right) mixed media on paper 8 1/2” x 11” (22 cm x 28 cm)
Arturo Luz (Filipino, B. 1926) Still Life Colored Pencil On Paper Late 20th Century, Phillippines Arturo Luz (Filipino, B. 1926) Colored pencils on paper still life, depicting a perfume or cologne bottle with the cap next to it. Signed at bottom right. Within matting.
Modula dated 2015 stainless steel without base: H: 48" (122 cm) L: 24" (61 cm) W: 24" (61 cm) with base: H: 54 1/4" (138 cm) L: 28" (71 cm) W: 28" (71 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Ms. Luisa Luz-Lansigan confirming the authenticity of this lot 1969 saw a significant period in Arturo Luz’s artmaking, marked by sudden realizations regarding his technique and materials. Thus, from his early realist paintings to his famed linear and geometric carnival series, he shifted to creating large-scale, nonfigurative sculptures in wood, marble, and metal. “I approach my sculpture in pretty much the same way I approach my painting. They are preceded by a number of studies,” Luz shares. Sometimes, he also seeks help from other trained individuals, such as a carpenter. Nevertheless, Arturo Luz’s sculptures exemplify his mathematical and geometrical precision. Seemingly random chunks of wood and steel, they are born from his mastery of forms and penchant for abstraction. Indeed, Luz’s artistic journey is a testament to his unwavering dedication to learning and development. His works became the focal point of numerous one-man and collaborative exhibitions and received countless awards and recognitions. Ever the prolific artist he is, Luz would continue to grace the Philippine art scene with his masterpieces even in his later years, such as this stainless steel work, Modula, that was created in 2015 at the tail end of his 80s. (Jessica Magno)
PROPERTY FORMERLY IN THE NATIVIDAD "NATI" VALENTIN COLLECTION Self-Portrait early 1960s oil on canvas 31 1/2" x 26" (80 cm x 66 cm) PROVENANCE A gift from the artist to Natividad "Nati" Valentin Acquired from the above by the present owner LITERATURE Ocampo, Ambeth R. Arturo Luz: First Light. Published in conjunction with the exhibitions "Arturo Luz: First Light" at the Ayala Museum and "#Luz@90" at the Ateneo Art Gallery. Quezon City: Vibal Foundation, Inc., Ateneo Art Gallery, and the Ayala Foundation, Inc. Full-color illustration and painting description on page 34. EXHIBITED Ayala Museum, Arturo Luz: First Light, Makati City, 14 February - 11 June 2017 A Rare Self-Portrait Resurfaces In anticipation of Arturo Luz's birth centennial on November 26, 2026, a rare self-portrait with a compelling provenance resurfaces. Luz's Self-Portrait last appeared during the First Light exhibition at the Ayala Museum from February to June 2017. Curated by Dr. Ambeth Ocampo, First Light was mounted as a retrospective celebrating Luz's 90th birthday and his 65 years as a professional artist. It formed part of the Images of Nation series, Ayala Museum's way of honoring the legacies of the country's National Artists for the Visual Arts. But there was one intriguing story about why Luz's Self- Portrait took so long to see the light of day. The answer can be traced back all the way to the early 1960s, within the whirlwind of Luz's romantic rendezvous. ArTi: The Love Story of Arturo Luz and Nati Valentin Luz originally gifted his winsome self-portrait to his thenfiancée, Natividad Valentin. Nati, as her closest circle called her, both had the wit and charm. She was at the top of her game as one of the leading art, culture, and society writers for The Manila Times, then the country's number one newspaper with over 1 million copies in circulation daily. Nati's friends were the equally gifted female literary bluebloods: Lyd Arguilla, Estrella Alfon, and Carmen Guerrero Nakpil, among others. The Manila Times’ manager, Chino Roces, was said to have selected only the brightest, the most beautiful, and the most intellectual writers for his newspaper for a fast recovery of its losses and a successful rebuilding of its reputation after being shut down during World War II. Nati met Arturo sometime in the late 1950s during her numerous stints for The Manila Times, on duty for her continuous coverage and comprehensive, insightful reviews on the Philippine art scene. Nati, as described by one of her closest friends and fellow Manila Times writer Edith Dizon, was also a master singer who possessed "a powerful dramatic soprano voice." Nati took voice lessons under the famous Italian tenor Arrigo Pola, who mentored Luciano Pavarotti. Dizon also recounted how Nati dabbled in and profoundly loved other art forms— flower arrangement, particularly the Japanese art of ikebana, Japanese ink and brush painting, and piano playing. Nati was a beautiful woman in every sense of the word, so much so that the young bachelor Luz was instantly captivated by her charisma. As a foremost writer for The Manila Times, Nati would often promote her boyfriend's new works and exhibitions in her column titled "All About Art." She was particularly adept in her art reviews, as evidenced in her 22 December 1961 column, in which she reviewed her fiancé's new works as "increasingly spare and linear" and possessing a color palette that is "simple and limited, gaining quality through tones rather than intensities." Nati was also there in December 1960 when Luz opened his brainchild, the Luz Gallery, which had Jose Joya's ninth solo show, featuring new paintings and sculptures as its inaugural exhibition. Nati wrote in her column to celebrate its first anniversary in December 1961, praising her beloved's "masterwork." She wrote, "The Luz Gallery became one year old, and set a new and dynamic trend in exhibits." Luz’s Self-Portrait, a gift to his beloved Nati Nati and Arturo would be engaged sometime in early 1960, and his handsome self-portrait was his gift of love to his fiancée, a celebration of enduring love and their eager commitment to a blissful marriage. Nati hung this self-portrait in her house. Shortly afterward, in 1962, Nati left the Philippines for a study grant in the United States. Luz's Self-Portrait showcases himself as one of his own figures, the iconic musicians, cyclists, and carnival characters typical of his early works from the 1950s to the 1960s. Luz captures the essence of his own self as he sees it through the lens of his art—a boyish-looking man in his thirties with an army-cut hairstyle powerfully evoking his spare, slender figures. His stance is confident, and his gaze bordering on sultry and naughty, fitting for the woman who roused his senses and rocked his world. One can picture Nati's profound joy as she received this painting, their banters as she teased Arturo of his "spicy" playfulness. It was a relationship that was both naughty and nice. One can also imagine how Nati would watch Luz as he painted and then proceed in their dynamic exchange of ideas. Luz was also an intellectual, a very discerning painter who prodigiously produced numerous preliminary sketches, a wide reader, and possessed a God-given gift for writing. Nati would begin formulating her words as Luz painted, entrusting the publicity of his works to his brilliant periodista novia. After all, the arts and the letters have that inseparable bond—much like Arturo and Nati's love, or so they thought. Tessie Ojeda Enter Teresita “Tessie” Ojeda. Records show that Tessie was a student of Fernando Zobel's art appreciation classes at the Ateneo Graduate School in the early '60s. Tessie, wrote Cid Reyes in his book on Luz, "was a regular visitor at the Luz Gallery." "[They] had known each other…but as mere nodding acquaintances," wrote Reyes. Through Zobel, a common friend, Luz and Tessie crossed paths. By then, Luz and Zobel had long been friends; both belonged to the second generation of Filipino modernists and PAG artists. Purita Kalaw-Ledesma, Filipino modernism's matriarch, wrote in her book The Biggest Little Room: "[Zobel] developed a close friendship with Arturo Luz. They would show each other the paintings they were working on. Luz learned a lot from Zobel, who was very profound, articulate, and well-read…[Zobel] was influenced by Luz's use of acid and neutral colors. His influence on Luz, on the other hand, was intellectual rather than visual." Zobel, in his capacity as Honorary Cultural Attaché of the Spanish Embassy in the Philippines, also helped Luz obtain his scholarship from the Instituto de Cultura Hispanica to study in Spain. A Tale of Star-Crossed Lovers In a surprising turn of events, Nati, who by then was still in the US for her months-long study grant, had been hearing rumors that her Arturo had "fallen in love" with a girl named Tessie Ojeda. According to tittle-tattles floating then, Tessie had been unusually close with Luz. Tessie, wrote Cid Reyes, was quoted as saying that Luz had always been "her favorite painter." While Nati was in the US, Luz also went there for a travel grant sponsored by the US Department of State. He was tasked to attend the Seattle's World's Fair. Coincidentally, Tessie was also present as a PR assistant for the Philippine Pavilion headed by Commissioner Don Luis Araneta. Reyes recounted this whirlwind of a romance: "In Seattle, Tessie shared an apartment with two other Filipinas, also with the staff. Miles away from home, Luz would be treated to Philippine hospitality: an adobo dinner. [Luz said], "Literally, it was the first time Tessie and I had gotten to talk. Before that, in Manila, we never exchanged more than five words." Reyes continued, "Tessie's plan was to see the world, so she was saving up her money." Luz invited Tessie to New York, where, for a month, they visited museums, exhibitions, and galleries. When it was time for Luz to go to Rome under another travel grant from the Italian government, he insisted that Tessie tag along with him. Luz and Tessie's romantic rendezvous was a rollercoaster of lightning and vehement emotions, and they married each other in Rome after only three months. When Nati returned to the Philippines, she was devastated to hear that Luz and Tessie had already been engaged, primed and prepared for their Roman wedding. Nati became the casualty of an unfortunate relationship—two star-crossed lovers chasing their dreams and building their careers and lives together. Sadly, the other could not handle the long-distance relationship and immediately longed for romantic solace. Nati: “Get rid of that painting!” Overwhelmingly heartbroken, Nati attempted to remove all vestiges of Arturo from her life, with this self-portrait being the first casualty of her emotional cleansing. Nati first asked one of her closest friends in her Manila Times circle, who is also the current owner's mother. To help Nati in her "moving on" stage, her close friend accepted the painting and hid it in the basement of her house. It was never displayed—not even once—and was left to collect dust, sort of a metaphor for Nati burying her painful misery. The current owner still remembers what Nati insisted on to his mom. With an agonizing voice, Nati exclaimed, "You have to hide it, get rid of it! I don't want to ever see this again! It caused me a heartbreak!" The current owner said, "So many people had asked to display this painting before, but my mom refused because of the heartbreaking story." A Closure Six Decades in the Making Luckily, Luz's Self-Portrait was showcased to the public, for the very first time, at the First Light exhibition at the Ayala Museum. Luz had discovered the whereabouts of his painting through the owner's mother, who was close to Rosario "Charing" Luz, Arturo's mother. "My Mama was very close to the Luz family," said the owner. "Luz's mom, Rosario, designed our ancestral house and furnished it with paintings from the Luz Gallery. She also commissioned Tito Alfredo, Arturo's brother, as our furniture designer before he emigrated to Canada after a successful architectural career. Basically, my Mama always confided in Tita Charing as she was in our house for remodeling over many years." It was then and there that Luz knew that his self-portrait had always been alive, even after decades had passed. Luz personally requested that his self-portrait be publicly shown at the Ayala Museum, where it hung on its own wall. "Luz wasn't in love anymore with Nati," the owner said. "He just chose the painting as part of his greatest works of art."
PROPERTY FROM A DISTINGUISHED COLLECTOR Nikko Revisited signed (lower and upper right) 1979 oil on burlap 80" x 60" (203 cm x 152 cm) PROVENANCE Collection of Celia and Jose Molano, Manila Salcedo Auctions, 14 March 2020 Purchased from the above by the present owner LITERATURE Reyes, Cid. Arturo Luz. Makati City: Ayala Foundation and The Crucible for Globe Telecom, 1999. Black-and-white illustration and painting description on page 164. A painter, designer, printmaker, and sculptor, Arturo Luz was one of the leading lights in Philippine art history. His artistic journey, a result of his unwavering dedication to learning and development, led him to experiment with different styles and mediums, producing a diverse range of art pieces—sketches, oil and acrylic paintings, sculptures, and many more. His ceaseless art making and prolific artistry culminated in his conferment as a National Artist for Visual Arts in 1997. Nikko Revisited, a monumental oil on burlap piece, is part of Luz’s impressive collage works and is a striking example of his artistic skills. Created by stitching together scraps of burlap colored in blood-red and white, this 1979 composition showcases his spatial intelligence and discipline in aesthetic restraint. Despite the minimalist nature of his canvases, Luz’s masterful employment of forms and colors fills the void from bare spaces, capturing the audience’s attention and leaving a lasting impression on his masterpieces. “His sense of form is alive and distinguished: he knows abstraction and austerity, the sense of space and balance, he distorts with institutional rightness and grace — in other words, he is a real artist.” — Jose Garcia Villa, National Artist for Literature, on Luz’s prize winning work at the 5th Art Association of the Philippines’ annual art exhibition in 1952. (Jessica Magno)
PROPERTY FROM A DISTINGUISHED COLLECTOR Untitled ca. 1972 balayong wood sculpture: H: 35 3/4" (91 cm) W: 12" (30 cm) L: 11 3/4" (30 cm) with base: H: 58 1/4" (148 cm) W: 13 1/2" (34 cm) L: 13 1/2" (34 cm) PROVENANCE Private Collection Leon Gallery, The Magnificent September Auction 2018, Makati City, 8 September 2018, Lot 98 Acquired from the above by the current owner In 1969, as massive redevelopment was taking shape across Metropolitan Manila, Arturo Luz, recognized as one of the leading vanguards of Philippine modernism, declared his sudden abandonment from painting and focused entirely on his sculpture. “I think it’s a very logical step from the kind of painting I do. I have always had a strong attraction for [the] three-dimensional work” (Arturo Luz by Cid Reyes. Ayala Foundation, Inc., 1999, pp. 43). Luz saw the sculpture as a rejection of the earlier abstract expressionism and the figurative cubism that he helped permeated into the mainstream. In its design as in this untitled example from 1972, Luz blends the Zen-like aesthetics in patterning his works with that of the Western minimalists including Frank Stella, Isamu Noguchi and Anthony Caro. As with his counterparts across the Pacific, Luz removed all forms of emotions and expression that can be grasped from the biographical reading of his earlier figurative paintings. The basic shapes, hard-edged forms that Luz embraced in this work helped remove any ideas or contemplations in any symbols that may arise. In his experimentations beginning with his first wood sculptures formed from Philippine hardwood including balayong, kamagong and narra is seen as repetitive and non-hierarchical. Like the “plastic poetry” that was famously uttered by American minimalist sculptor Carl Andre (b. 1932), Luz sought to find the true meaning of the visual space that can be recreated and reproduced in various shapes and dimensions in just mere mundane objects.
PROPERTY FROM A DISTINGUISHED COLLECTOR Untitled Collage No.16 signed (lower left) 1988 acrylic collage 24" x 18" (61 cm x 46 cm) PROVENANCE The Luz Gallery Acquired from the above by the current owner Untitled Collage No. 16 was among Arturo Luz’s acrylic collages, a painting technique he developed in the 1960s. It was characterized by sticking cut pieces of paper in different shapes on a surface and overlaying them with acrylic paint. This 1988 work, although colored in vibrant hues, still resembles the artist’s nature: quiet, unassuming, witty, and profound. While Luz’s earlier works were rooted in realism, his succeeding paintings took a bold leap into abstraction, culminating in his distinctive geometric style. His oeuvre became known for its straightforwardness, distinguished by its linear forms and a restrained palette. His matted, minimalist compositions of bare spaces punctuated by linear forms have earned him a place among the most sought-after Filipino artists. In 1997, Arturo Luz was bestowed a National Artist for Visual Arts Award, the country’s highest accolade in the arts. (Jessica Magno)
