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PROPERTY FROM THE DON EUGENIO “GENY” LOPEZ JR. COLLECTION Ang Tanong signed and dated 1988 (lower right) oil on canvas 36" x 24" (91 cm x 61 cm) León Gallery wishes to thank Ms. Gisella Olmedo-Araneta for confirming the authenticity of this lot PROVENANCE: Finale Art File WRITE UP: Adistinct sort of distortion marks the works of expressionist Onib Olmedo. His body of works feature dramatic contortions, extreme angles, and flat figures paired with a muted color scheme that immediately grabs its viewer’s attention. Drawn to the denizens of Sampaloc and Ermita, his canvases reflect the triumph of the human spirit in face of the anguish human frequently faces. His 1998 Ang Tanong features the Onib-typical distortion – the lone figure on the canvas is depicted with gigantic hands and a disfigured face with mismatched eyes and asymmetrical features. Most interestingly, there is not one face but two, with the second one cradled on the figure's lap as if a child. One is pressed to look into the painting to find the answers to its titular tanong: why is the figure depicted with two heads? The background suggests a slum of some sort – does this have something to do with the twoheaded figure? Ang Tanong, as the title suggests, poses more questions than answers and therein lies Onib’s charm. He paints with an almost fervent abandon, pushing distortions to its extreme to probe the depths of humanity. The viewer cannot help but press into the work to make sense of the distorted, to iron out the discrepancies and understand the incomprehensible. While there may be no clear-cut answers, Onib’s works contain a subjective depth that captures the private psyche. They are a conversation between the viewer and the artist, each exchange as different as the next. (Hannah Valiente)