작품 상세

Untitled signed and dated 2019 (lower right) oil on canvas 24" x 18" (61 cm x 46 cm) A Baguio City-based artist, Anton Mallari’s works are often centered around surrealist portraits of women, particularly those that shine light on the complexity of the female identity. In this particular work, Mallari's woman stares at the viewer in a pose reminiscent of The Girl With A Pearl Earring. This callback only emphasizes the strangeness of this young girl. As she wears an outfit similar to a jester, one can see the makeup running down her face, with white foundation and garish face paint melting to reveal the smooth skin underneath. The bonnet on her head is unraveling, revealing a branch of flowers for hair. Mallari’s works are often described as a "juxtaposition of breathing flesh and outlines of flora," reflecting his usage of flowers in tandem with personal emotions. He utilizes that same essence in this piece, creating a piece that is dreamlike in its mystery. Like Gabrielle Gonzales wrote in a 2022 Cartellino article about Mallari, “When dusk settles, ambiguity sets in with it.” Indeed, Mallari’s works are a dramatic study between light and dark, creating a world that tethers perfectly between the sureness of the day and the obscurity of the night. (Hannah Valiente)