Oil on paper

119×152 cm. 46 7/8×59 7/8 in

Signed in English and Chinese, dated, titled and described on reverse
PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist by present Asian owner

Alluring yet Cruel Modern Age Prophecy
Ronald Ventura was born in the Philippines in 1973. He earned a BFA in painting from the oldest university in Asia – University of Santo Tomas – and was invited to stay as an instructor for his academic excellence. He is acclaimed for his boundless imagination and mindful observations on reality； there are many layers to his work that veil his acute perceptions on art history, surrealism and society. He was named “Artist of the Year” by Art Manila in 2001, and was awarded the prestigious Ateno Art Awards – given to the most promising local emerging artist – for his 2005 series Human Series by Ateno de Manila University in the same year. Human Series thus exhibited at the Cross Art Projects Gallery in Australia and resonated profoundly with the public.
Ventura has held significant solo exhibitions around the world, including Museum of the National University Singapore, the Institut Valencià d’Art Modern, Museo delle Culture of Lugano, Switzerland, Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei, and more. The Spring Auctions present two works titled Little Monster and Horse Around； they are the artist’s signature works and were both created in 2011.
In Between Humorous and Enlightenment
In the work Little Monster, brightly colored and loveable cartoon characters such as Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh and various crazed characters are given life again in Ventura’s work. The work’s flat composition accentuates the artist’s ingenious imagination, delivering a magnificent imagery. Countless skeleton images spread out upward from the bottom, insinuating an intent to corrupt. “I invite the viewers to come closer, ” Ventura admits, “you will see what lies behind if you look closely enough with the upmost attention.” The main subject of the work is the upper body of a boy with an outraged expression like Little Monster, gradually drowning in the wildly bizarre landscape in front of him. This message of anxiety seems to be exactly what Ventura wishes to convey to his young son – to live life seeking an arcadia to thrive in, and to escape from information bombardment.
In Between Elegance and Unrest
Horse Around created the same year as Little Monster, opts for a horizontal composition, depicting the aftermath of an explosion as an air of danger and chaos permeates the image – the usually rambunctious dwarf is set aside to emphasize that this is all nothing but a deliberate stunt. Two horses are the main subject in the painting； art critic Alice Guillermo once wrote： “Ventura denies anthropocentrism. The horses in the work are a signification of drive and desire – they sometimes trot around in a naïve manner, or resemble the solemnly heroic horse depicted in a 19th century oil painting.” Horses are a repeating element in his work, and they are used to question the relationship amongst living beings. This dramatic and ironic allegory of life and death expertly structures a dual message of the corporeal body and soul from beyond.
As the most preeminent young artist
in the Philippines today, Ventura’s work is not only a manifestation of his most intimate thoughts but also a product of the histories of Philippines. It is as if his work captures the everyday within his work, relaying the story that seems absurd yet heavy to the audience, leading this generation on a journey retracing history, seeking identity, and the path between the past and future.

Price estimate:
HKD: 650, 000 - 850, 000
USD: 83, 300 - 109, 000

Auction Result:
HKD: 1,003,000