Oil on canvas

174 x 137 cm. 68 1/2 × 54 in.

Titled and signed in Spanish, dated on the reverse
EXHIBITED
9 Dec 2021 – 30 Jan 2022, Tania Marmolejo: the Untamed Truth, Lyle O. Reitzel Gallery, Santo Domingo

PROVENACE
Lyle O. Reitzel Gallery, Santo Domingo
Private Collection, Asia

Little Girl's Adventure!
Tania's Autobiography

Born in 1975 in Santo Domingo, the largest city in the Caribbean, now living in New York City, Tania Marmolejo's rich indigenous traditions and the European culture brought in by seafaring explorers are deeply embedded in her genes and creative inspirations. She graduated with honours from the Parsons School of Design in New York in 2000 and joined an animation company as a character designer. This inspired her to start drawing, and she began to draw headshots in her spare time. Her huge portraits of bright-eyed women looking directly at the viewer are full of emotional power and have become her trademark. Then she became a professional artist in 2011. In recent years, she has been active in the contemporary art world and has held solo exhibitions in New York, Norway, and Santo Domingo, with collectors in Asia, Europe, and the Americas. The wonderful work Caballo Penco presented in this auction combines her iconic wide-eyed girl with animals and landscapes, drawing people into a colourful dream world.

A Glance on Horse Back

She has used horses in her paintings many times, and Caballo Penco is one of her representative works. In the painting, a white horse spreads its front hooves, running towards the sky. A topless young girl rides on top of the horse, with romantic long curly hair draped over her shoulders and her lower body covered by a soft pink veil, playful but not lewd, luring viewers' imagination. The character has the artist's signature huge crystal eyes and slightly open lips as if she is talking while looking back at the viewer, sending out a silent invitation. The warm bronze skin tone, together with the pink cheeks, are fascinating like the evening sunshine, which lingers in viewers' minds for a long time.

A Projection of Her Heart

With the pinkish-purple sky as background, stars are dotting the half-bright sky, flickering infinitely. Large grey clouds slowly rise up, like fluffy cotton candy covering the background, dividing the sky from the sea at the bottom. The sky is almost fish-belly white, connecting with the dreamy purple sea. The romantic colours of white, grey, pink, and purple capture the most beautiful moment in front of the setting sun. The young girl riding on the back of the horse is ready to go on a fantastic adventure. She seems to be a projection of Marmolejo's inner self, determined to leave behind the fetters and confinement of women in society and move forward towards her ideal with courage! Adorned with boundless seascapes and beloved animals, this work becomes her autobiographical announcement.

Price estimate:
HKD 400,000 – 600,000
USD 51,300 – 76,900

Auction Result:
HKD: 480,000