LOT 70
ONIB OLMEDO
B. Philippines, 1937 – 1996
Woman with Basket, 1984
Pastel on paper
63 x 48 cm
Private Collection, Singapore
Signed and dated “Onib Olmedo 84” on lower right
RM 1,500 – 2,000
Onib Olmedo was a Filipino painter acclaimed by critics as one of the major Filipino artists of the 20th century. Olmedo created a body of works that utilizes the expressionist technique of distortion to portray the inner torment experienced by modern man, evident in this work. His paintings are characterized by an implosive impact but have an uplifting and ennobling quality, celebrating the triumph of the human spirit in the face of pain and anguish. At the same time, they are social commentaries with touches of wit and irony – reflections of the artist’s quintessential, down-toearth humor. The subjects of his paintings were the denizens of Sampaloc and Ermita, including musicians, prostitutes, vendors and waiters, as well as people from the upper strata like society matrons, corporate executives and ballerinas.