Mauro Malang Santos Sold at Auction Prices

b. 1928 - d. 2017

Born in Santa Cruz, Manila in 1928, artist Mauro Malang Santos is best known for creating the popular comic strips Beelzebub and Kosme, the Cop, Retired. Forgoing a formal education in art after one semester, the artist went to work for a newspaper, apprenticing under cartoonist Liborio Gatbonton. Mauro Malang Santos' paintings were first shown, solo, at an exhibition in 1962. Two years later, the Society of Philippine Illustrators and Cartoonists made him Artist of the Year.

Later in his career, Santos expanded his interest in art. Cubism and abstract-modern portraits became the style and subject of Mauro Malang Santos paintings in the early 90s. Images of expressive female figures in poor parts of the Philippines, highlighted by ragged yet traditional clothing, were key features in Mauro Malang Santos' artwork. Bring a gorgeous beauty into your gallery by browsing arresting portrait paintings online at Invaluable.

Read Full Artist Biography

0 Lots

Sort By:

Dec. 02, 2023
Mauro Malang Santos (1928-2017) - Four Seasons (Quadriptych)
Est: ₱2,400,000 - ₱3,120,000
Four Seasons (Quadriptych) signed and dated 1994 (lower right) oil on canvas 22” x 18” (56 cm x 46 cm) each 44” x 36” (112 cm x 91 cm) overall Accompanied by a certificate issued by West Gallery confirming the authenticity of this lot PROVENANCE: León Gallery, The Kingly Treasures Auction 2017, December 2, 2017, Lot 105 WRITE UPMauro Malang Santos is upfront with his limited formal education. Aside from the childhood drawing lessons he took from artist Teodora Buenaventura and a semester at the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts, the bulk of his “lessons” came from his career as a cartoonist at the Manila Chronicle, or what he calls his “Chronicle College.” Under cartoonist Liborio “Gat” Gatbonbon’s tutelage, Malang went on to create the first English comic stip in the Philippines entitled Kosme, the Retired Cop. Further into his career as a cartoonist, Malang started painting vignettes of Manila under the encouragement of then-editor and another “professor” of his at his Chronicle College H.R. Ocampo. Starting with colorful folk depictions, Malang’s later works eventually matured to a more abstract form with his attention focused on the lighter livelier aspects of Filipino life. Malang has a special affection for floral sceneries as shown in his works. In his abstractionist form, Malang transforms a simple still life into a joyous celebration of life as displayed with this lot in hand. As Leonidas V. Benesa stated in 1974, “[The flowers] occupy the foreground as the centers of interest, blooming right into one’s face and consciousness, like large Chagall bouquets. The paintwork is thick and dense, though also delicate, and all four panels of the quadriptych stroke the eye somewhat as the power and complexity of musical chords in music do to the ear.” Twenty years later, Benesa’s observation about Malang is still applicable as displayed with this colorful quadriptych from 1994 Untitled (The Jubilee Quadriptych. Untitled (The Jubilee Quadriptych) features four distinct paintings that create a coherent story when viewed together. All four paintings are a testament to Malang’s mastery in technique, color, and form A prolific and celebrated artist, Malang won awards in the annual art competitions of the Art Association of the Philippines, Society of Philippine Illustrators and Cartoonists, and the Art Directors Guild. He was among the Ten Outstanding Young Men awardees in 1963 , the Gawad CCP Para Sa Sining awardee in 1995, and an awardee of the Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan award from the City of Manila in 1981. (Hannah Valiente)
Leon Gallery
Dec. 02, 2023
Mauro Malang Santos (1928 - 2017) - Escapulario
Est: ₱700,000 - ₱910,000
PROPERTY FROM THE DON J. ANTONIO ARANETA COLLECTION Escapulario signed and dated 1967 (lower right) acrylic on canvas 20” x 20” (51 cm x 51 cm) EXHIBITED The Luz Gallery, 45-Piece One-Man Exhibit, Makati, November 21 - December 5, 1967 LITERATURE Araneta, Antonio S., ed., 1030 R. Hidalgo: Volume II, Legacy in Art. Manila: Mara, Inc., 1986. Full-color photograph and painting description on page 147. Roces, Alfredo, Mauro Malang Santos, and Eric Torres. The Art of Malang: Commentaries by Alfredo Roces and Eric Torres. Makati: Luz Gallery, 1967. Published on the occasion of Malang’s exhibition, 45-Piece One-Man Exhibit, at The Luz Gallery from November 21 to December 5, 1967. Black-and-white photograph on page 6. WRITE UPEscapulario encapsulates a profound shift in Malang’s art and career during the 1960s. For a person who originally started as a prolific cartoonist (Malang was the genius behind the first English daily comic strip, “Kosme, the Cop, Retired,” for The Evening Chronicle.), Malang would gravitate towards serious painting in the late 1960s, formally presenting his first set of serious works at his landmark sophomore exhibition in 1967 at The Luz Gallery: “45-Piece One-Man Exhibit,” in which the work at hand was showcased. Malang’s said exhibition at the Luz Gallery signaled his triumphant coming-of-age, his emergence as an artist to be reckoned with. In a June 1985 interview (which would eventually be published in the landmark book Conversations on Philippine Art), art critic Cid Reyes asked Malang: “You were originally better known as a cartoonist. Doesn’t this background prejudice people from accepting you as a serious artist?” Malang answered: “In some ways, yes. To some people, I’m still a cartoonist. But I just keep on painting. Actually, I’m a late starter. I started doing serious painting only in 1967 when I had a one-man show at The Luz Gallery. [Actually,] my first one-man show was at the Philippine Art Gallery, but they were semi-cartoons that served as a transition between my cartooning and serious painting. But cartooning helped me a lot. I developed control of my hand and developed my own way of thinking.” Eminent art critics Alfredo Roces and Eric Torres gave valuable insights into Malang’s Luz Gallery show and his artistic evolution. In his essay Into New Country, Roces succinctly tells of Malang’s progression as an artist, from his humble beginnings as a prolific cartoonist to the serious painter he became in the 1960s, fostering a style he would be mainly known for throughout his career. “When he first began, he was a cartoonist and illustrator,” Roces writes. “Malang then took to lighthearted social commentary, portraying cartoon like figures in the midst of city bustle. Soon enough, the cartoon-like figures evolved into stylized human forms, with their faces adorned only with eyes, while the backgrounds showed the clutter and the tempo of city life.” However, the late 1960s showed Malang beginning to explore abstraction, albeit retaining that child-like naivety of his cartoonist heydays, as seen in Escapulario. Present in his new style is a profound elaborateness of different elements and a flattened perspective that allows for a more heightened exploration of ornamental design, fostering his highly imaginative sense of color and the exuberant intricacy he had started to employ. There is a convolution of elements. Yet, due to his design instincts, Malang situates them in an orderly manner. (Malang was actually dapper in appearance. “Everytime I’m introduced to people, they say things like, “Malinis ang suot mo, wala kang bigote, hindi mahaba ang buhok mo, wala kang hikaw,” says the artist to Cid Reyes.) Roces continues: “Malang’s vignettes then progressively mellowed into more serious paintings of squatters’ shanties and rural scenes. At times, they were playful and cartoon-like, with simple colors and many playful situations depicted. At other times, the work turned closer to abstract arrangements of rectangular shapes and textural play, the barong-barong clutter and pattern serving as the setting. Malang, during this period, showed some influences of Luz in the depiction of the figure. There was much interest in the effects of sponge patterns, and even collage…” Torres also describes Malang’s maturity. “He is painting larger pictures and depopulating them. He is becoming increasingly abstract, less anecdotal, but more gorgeously decorative. One can make out familiar objects, mostly landscapes and architectural subjects…He still uses bright, fiesta colors that should please his old fans; but he is also now discovering the richness of a color scheme based on sepias, ochres, dark browns, greens, and black for “nocturnal” scenes that might win him new fans.” (Adrian Maranan)
Leon Gallery
Dec. 02, 2023
Mauro Malang Santos (1928-2017) - Kambal
Est: ₱600,000 - ₱780,000
Kambal signed and dated 1999 (lower right) oil on canvas 12” x 12” (30 cm x 30 cm) Accompanied by a certificate signed by the artist confirming the authenticity of this lot WRITE UPMauro Malang Santos belongs to the group of artists whose works take inspiration from folk art. Characterized by simplified figures, geometric shapes, and festive colors, Malang finds inspiration in the common Filipino life in the big city. Though his works eventually evolved in a more mature abstract figurative style, his penchant for capturing the Filipino remains in his use of warm colors, modernist sensibilities, and traditionalist imagery. This 1999 work entitled Kambal follows Malang’s affinity for painting Filipino women later in his career. Colored in warm, resplendent hues, the titular kambal or twins take the center stage, dressed in bright clothes and holding children of their own. They are huddled together, mother to child and sister to sister, a testament to Malang’s expertise in anything Filipino. Malang had no formal artistic education except for drawing classes from an artist in his neighborhood and a semester of classes at University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts. Instead, his art style was cultivated through years of work as a cartoonist for the Manila Chronicles, where he had cartoonist Liborio “Gat” Gatbonton and artist H. R. Ocampo, then one of the paper’s editors, as mentors. The City of Manila bestowed him the honor of receiving the Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan award in 1981 and his steadfast commitment to the arts influenced generations of artists to come. (Hannah Valiente)
Leon Gallery
Dec. 02, 2023
Mauro Malang Santos (1928 - 2017) - White Moon
Est: ₱160,000 - ₱208,000
White Moon signed and dated 24·V·90 (lower right) gouache on paper 12” x 8 3/4” (30 cm x 22 cm) León Gallery wishes to thank West Gallery for confirming the authenticity of this lot PROVENANCE: Private collection, USA WRITE UPMauro Malang Santos’s brief stint with formal artistic training began when he took drawing lessons as a child from artist Teodoro Buenaventura. It ended after a semester at University of the Philippines School of Fine Arts. His true university, he says, is his career as a cartoonist at the Manila Chronicle “Diyan ako grumaduate sa Chronicle ‘College’ eh,” Malang said in an interview. “Wala naman akong schooling, at diyan naman ako natuto.” Though he initially gained renown through his cartoons, Malang eventually set forth to paint in the modernist method. His usual subjects are from the realities of urban life though, as shown by this 1990 White Moon, he does not shy away from still life illustrations. Malang’s still life paintings, far and few they may be, are bursting with colors and personality. As painter and critic E. Aguilar Cruz wrote, “While Malang’s art is as unlike those of the traditional schools represented by Amorsolo as a straight line is from a scroll… they both bear the same stamp of that quality.” (Hannah Valiente)
Leon Gallery
Oct. 21, 2023
Michael Cacnio (b. 1969) X Mauro Malang Santos (1928 - 2017)
Est: ₱300,000 - ₱390,000
Red Heart (Interaction with Mr. Mauro Malang Santos) signed and dated 2009 brass 22 1/2” x 24” x 12 (57 cm x 61 cm x 30 cm) Red Heart signed and dated 8-III-07 (lower right) oil on canvas 12” x 9” (30 cm x 23 cm)
Leon Gallery
Oct. 21, 2023
Mauro Malang Santos (1928 - 2017)
Est: ₱100,000 - ₱130,000
Woman Vendor signed and dated 1996 (lower right) oil pastel 9 1/2” x 12 1/4” (24 cm x 31cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by West Gallery confirming the authenticity of this lot
Leon Gallery
Oct. 21, 2023
Mauro Malang Santos (1928 - 2017)
Est: ₱10,000 - ₱13,000
Purple Sun handsigned (lower right) serigraph, 79/227 12 1/2” x 10” (32 cm x 10 cm)
Leon Gallery
Oct. 21, 2023
Mauro Malang Santos (1928 - 2017)
Est: ₱150,000 - ₱195,000
Mauro Malang Santos (1928 - 2017) Abstraction signed and dated 24-X-05 (lower right) gouache on paper 11” x 9” (28 cm x 23 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by West Gallery confirming the authenticity of this lot
Leon Gallery
Oct. 21, 2023
Mauro Malang Santos (1928 - 2017)
Est: ₱20,000 - ₱26,000
Untitled handsigned (lower right) serigraph 28/187 14” x 12 1/4” (36 cm x 31 cm)
Leon Gallery
Oct. 21, 2023
Mauro Malang Santos (1928 - 2017
Est: ₱20,000 - ₱26,000
Untitled hand-signed and dated 1993 (lower right) serigraph, numbered 40/50 23 1/4” x 16 3/4”
Leon Gallery
Oct. 21, 2023
Mauro Malang Santos (1928 - 2017)
Est: ₱20,000 - ₱26,000
Mother and Child signed and dated 1992 (lower right) offset print 195/300 25 1/2” x 20” (64 cm x 51 cm)
Leon Gallery
Sep. 09, 2023
Mauro Malang Santos (1928 - 2017) - Banana Series
Est: ₱4,000,000 - ₱5,200,000
Mauro Malang Santos (1928 - 2017) Banana Series signed and dated 1978 (lower right) gouache on paper 40" x 60" (102 cm x 152 cm) León Gallery wishes to thank the West Gallery for confirming the authenticity of this lot Mauro Malang Santos' Banana Series counts among the largest works by the artist to enter the Philippine art market. But beyond this impressive feat lies a kind of technical brilliance that Malang's paintings of plants and trees cheerfully exemplify. Malang's plants and trees sprouted on his canvas in the mid-1970s as a natural progression and elevation from the themes that had populated his art in the years prior. Previously, Malang had only relegated these lush vegetations in the background to support the integrity of the focal subject; they serve as enhancements for the landscapes of bustling barrios and busy towns, portraits of women vendors, and rows of ordinary houses, but are now the protagonists and "movers" of the composition. "Malang's obsessive urge to work in 'series' is probably dictated by the need for a visual fulcrum on which to anchor his ideas. In the Plants and Trees paintings, he has found an image worthy of his rich imaginings," writes in the catalog of his 1981 exhibition at the Museum of Philippine Art. This 1978 piece titled Banana Series captures Malang's invigorating pursuit to reanimate his creative play on figure-ground relationships and their playful interaction within the space of the composition. As Edilberto B. Bravo puts it in the book Hidden Treasures, Simple Pleasures, "urban shanties in signature Malang style become the background for this glorious rendering of a banana tree." The banana tree (an herbaceous flowering plant if one considers scientific accuracy)—with its gigantic, lush leaves rendered in Malang's trademark angular shapes and its luxuriant fruits and flowers signifying its sound growth and the fertility of the soil—serves as the most crucial element in the composition. While the background is permeated with a homogenous blue sky and crammed with monochromatic barong-barongs, the banana tree is highly distinguishable from the rest of the canvas due to its graphic depiction, effectively drawing the line between subject and background and veering the viewer's focus into the tree's radiant and varying colors. Thus, Malang's intention to elevate his plants and trees into the protagonist of his works during the mid to late 1970s is made evident. Furthermore, by situating a lofty and fruitful banana tree in the middle of the slums, Malang injects into a rather depressing subject an inherent optimism that immensely speaks of his gleeful disposition in life. "I guess I just happen to be one of the more fortunate ones," Malang said to Cid Reyes when interviewed in June 1985. “Siguro [dahil] masasaya ang kulay ko [Maybe because my colors speak of joy]. (Adrian Maranan)
Leon Gallery
Sep. 09, 2023
Mauro Malang Santos (1928 - 2017) - Red Moon
Est: ₱4,000,000 - ₱5,200,000
Mauro Malang Santos (1928 - 2017) Red Moon signed and dated 2001 (lower right) oil on canvas 34" x 34" (86 cm x 86 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by West Gallery confirming the authenticity of this lot Under the mentorship of cartoonist Liborio Gatbonton, Mauro Malang Santos honed his skills and ignited an enduring fascination with the realm of cartoon illustration. This pivotal experience planted the seeds of creativity within him and paved the way for his remarkable artistic evolution. These seeds would eventually bear fruit as Malang would leave the world of cartoons in an attempt to pave the way towards a unique practice. After a decade of prolific work in the realm of cartoons and illustrations, he embarked on a daring exploration of new artistic horizons. Guided by a desire for innovation and self-expression, he embraced elements of cubism and abstraction. Influenced by the likes of Picasso, Matisse, Manansala, and Ang Kiukok, Malang's later style became a tour de force that reshaped artistic conventions. This very style, exemplified by the particular piece in question, radiates a sense of generosity in its vivid imagery, expansive color palettes, and evocative representation of cultural identity. One could also argue that Malang’s experience in cartoons afforded him an eccentric sense of creativity to fuel his practice. This can be seen in his inventive way of approaching and expressing the various elements in his craft. This particular piece titled Blood Moon features a lunar eclipse emanating down on a town. Traditionally, most cultures view the appearance of a lunar eclipse as a bad omen. Who could blame them? Prior to our knowledge of how eclipses worked (or even the heliocentric model), the fact that the moon would turn into the shade akin to blood would undoubtedly be seen as ominous. Yet Malang’s work seemingly treats the phenomenon in a neutral and frank way. The eclipse is not seen as inherently ominous or beautiful but something natural: an approach that is decidedly more nuanced and complex. (Jed Daya)
Leon Gallery
Sep. 09, 2023
Mauro Malang Santos (1928 - 2017) - Mag-Iina
Est: ₱3,400,000 - ₱4,420,000
Mauro Malang Santos (1928 - 2017) Mag-Iina signed and dated 2000 (lower right) oil on canvas 30" x 30" (76 cm x 76 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by West Gallery confirming the authenticity of this lot When Mauro Malang Santos was just ten years old, he began receiving informal painting lessons from the classical realist painter Teodoro Buenaventura. Although he left the UP College of Fine Arts after just one semester, he continued to deepen his love and devotion for art. His artistic style and methods were shaped by his visits to museums in Japan, the United States, and Europe. He was part of the group of artists in his time who imbibed inspiration from folk art and whose works are distinguishable by geometric shapes, decorative forms, and festive colors. Some of his paintings are simplified figures of seated women, usually market vendors or mothers. Interestingly, Mauro Malang Santos used his mother’s maiden name to sign his works; hence, he became commonly known as Malang. The lot on hand features three mothers and three daughters; hence, the title is Magiina. He has done other works featuring a mother and child. To name a few, he made various oil on canvas works in 1980,1986 and 1994. He also worked with a mother and two kids in 1997. His numerous portrayals of a mother and child suggest that he understood that depicting motherhood evokes shared feelings of affection amongst Filipinos. What makes Magiina stand out is Malang's idea of featuring four generations of female figures with their children. Moreover, the word English translation, “mothers with their children,” does not encapsulate the same warm, profound feeling of the Filipino maternal bond when we hear the word Magiina. Indeed, Malang made warm-toned tints of pink, orange, and violet. etc, as the background for his three mothers and three children. These colors help evoke tenderness. A charming detail is how the three mothers have a little bun of hair on the top of their heads. The baby bundled in green fabric stands out against the white garments of her brown-haired kin — who may be the second set of mother and daughter. The black-haired woman in her pink and orange accented dress may be the eldest of them all; hence, she is the pinnacle of the triangle formed by the women. Overall, this lot exemplifies the whimsical side of Malang and his profound maternal appreciation. (Raphaela Cordero)
Leon Gallery
Sep. 09, 2023
Mauro Malang Santos (1928 - 2017) - Barung-Barong
Est: ₱500,000 - ₱650,000
Mauro Malang Santos (1928 - 2017) Barung-Barong signed and dated 1980 (lower right) Tempera 20" x 20" (51 cm x 51 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by West Gallery confirming the authenticity of this lot A pillar of Filipino Modernism, Mauro Malang Santos helped cultivate and develop the thriving visual arts landscape of the Philippines with the aid of his unique artistic practice. He was known to explore diverse themes, and the lot at hand shows one that draws inspiration from urban and rural realities. Also, the influence of cubism is observed in the simplified, geometricizing treatment of the barong-barongs.
Leon Gallery
Jul. 29, 2023
Mauro Malang Santos (1928 - 2017)
Est: ₱160,000 - ₱208,000
Flower signed and dated 1992 (lower right) gouache 9” x 12” (23 cm x 30 cm)
Leon Gallery
Jul. 29, 2023
Mauro Malang Santos (1928 - 2017)
Est: ₱180,000 - ₱234,000
Let There Be Light gouache on paper signed and dated 2005 (lower right) 12” x 20” (30 cm x 51 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by West Gallery confirming the authenticity of this lot
Leon Gallery
Jul. 29, 2023
Mauro Malang Santos (1928 - 2017)
Est: ₱180,000 - ₱234,000
Untitled gouache on paper signed and dated 2006 (lower right) 11 1/2” x 17 1/2” (29 cm x 44 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by West Gallery confirming the authenticity of this lot
Leon Gallery
Jul. 29, 2023
Mauro Malang Santos (1928 - 2017)
Est: ₱15,000 - ₱19,500
Vendor- Special CCF Series II in Green hand signed and dated 2003 (lower right) serigraph, 28/50 16” x 14” (41 cm x 36 cm)
Leon Gallery
Jul. 29, 2023
Mauro Malang Santos (1928 - 2017)
Est: ₱15,000 - ₱19,500
Three Women stamped hahnemuhle photo rag bright white 310gsm limited edition, 23/ 65 16 1/2” x 11 3/4” (42 cm x 29 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Soler Santos and St. Luke’s Medical Center Foundation, Inc. confirming the authenticity of this lot
Leon Gallery
Jul. 29, 2023
Mauro Malang Santos (1928 - 2017)
Est: ₱15,000 - ₱19,500
Three Women stamped hahnemuhle photo rag bright white 310gsm limited edition, 23/65 16 1/2” x 11 3/4” (42 cm x 29 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Soler Santos and St. Luke’s Medical Center Foundation, Inc. confirming the authenticity of this lot
Leon Gallery
Jul. 29, 2023
Mauro Malang Santos (1928 - 2017)
Est: ₱20,000 - ₱26,000
Untitled (Three Women) hand signed (lower right) serigraph, 49/50 24” x 18 1/2” (61 cm x 47 cm)
Leon Gallery
Jul. 29, 2023
Mauro Malang Santos (1928 - 2017)
Est: ₱10,000 - ₱13,000
Untitled (Three Women) signed (lower right) serigraph 19 3/4” x 14 3/4” (49 cm x 37 cm)
Leon Gallery
Jun. 17, 2023
Mauro Malang Santos (1928 - 2017)
Est: ₱1,600,000 - ₱2,080,000
Woman signed and dated 1976 (lower center) tempera 30" x 30" (76 cm x 76 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by West Gallery confirming the authenticity of this lot Among the first generation of modernists to make their mark in Philippine Art is Mauro “Malang” Santos. An icon in abstract art and cubism, he was foremost an awardwinning cartoonist, illustrator, and fine arts painter. His canvases explore various themes and styles, crafted with a unique aesthetic that draws inspiration from the realities of urban life. Woman is one of the tempera paintings by the late fine artist that depicts a female figure rendered in his abstract approach. In the oeuvres of Malang, the women are often dressed in traditional attire. The earliest appearance of his muses appeared like dots in a field, only a part of his abstract landscapes and not the center of the canvas. His female figures are the familiar faces in rural areas, namely the mothers and vendors. Furthermore, local art critics agree that Malang’s allure as an artist springs from his imaginative use of color. Cid Reyes identifies Malang’s works as “the most color-irradiated ever done in the history of Philippine art.” Three years after the creation of this piece dated 1976, Malang was awarded the “Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan” or the “Guide of Arts and Culture” in 1981. (P.I.R.)
Leon Gallery