{"status":true,"msg":{"data":{"id":26549,"auction_id":31,"set_id":52,"lot_number":"117","artist":"Melvin Culaba (b. 1971)","title":"Nakakaloko","starting_price":120000,"signed_dated":"signed and dated 2016 (upper left)","medium":"oil on canvas","size":"84” x 30” (213 cm x 76 cm)","property":null,"coa":null,"provenance":"Private Collection, Manila","exhibited":null,"literature":null,"write_up":"Effective and affective, prolific visual artist and social realist Melvin Culaba’s paintings are characterized by emotional intent and moral undertones. He confronts social ills and systematic struggles through his art; poverty and consumerism are some of the themes present in his pieces. The titles of his works are oftentimes suggestive, hinting at main meanings and points, and many have taken note of Culaba’s skills as a visual storyteller of glaring injustices. His expressionist style and use of dark colors evoke a certain kind of bleakness that mirrors the spirit of the times. Culaba also has a penchant for filling spaces with colors and figures. His works are symbolladen, displaying bold, frenetic strokes and texture. <br /><br />Nakakaloko presents a man, half-dressed with a shirt and a knight’s helmet, in a surreal setting. His facial expression itself shows the absurdity of his surroundings. Backdrop elements, from the malnourished dog (a recurring subject in his works) to the church and windmills, bring up familiar local images to the viewer’s mind. Here, one sees that the personal is political, as it reflects Culaba’s sensibilities as someone who focuses not just on art’s aesthetic value but also on its power in drawing attention toward social issues. <br /><br />Born in 1971, Culaba is an UST alumnus who has received several awards from art competitions such as the Philippine Art Award in 2018 and a full grant for a residency at the Vermont Studio Center, U.S., in 2005.","lot_group":"PAINTING","lot_details_html":null,"alias":null,"hp":180000,"bp":0.168,"isWithdrawn":0,"accounting_hp":180000,"userBid":5926,"isPaid":0,"userId":22,"lot_status":"SOLD","isDone":1,"bid_history_id":null,"reserve_price":null,"hammer_price":210240,"fav":0},"image":[{"id":23992,"img_url":"https://leongallery.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/v2/auction/31/52/lot/117.jpg","isFeatured":1}]},"increment":[70000,80000,90000,100000,110000,120000,130000,140000,150000,160000,170000,180000,190000,200000,220000,240000,260000,280000,300000,320000,340000,360000,380000,400000,450000,500000,550000,600000,650000,700000,750000,800000,900000,1000000,1100000,1200000,1300000,1400000,1500000,1600000,1700000,1800000,1900000,2000000,2200000,2400000,2600000,2800000,3000000,3200000,3400000,3600000,3800000,4000000,4200000,4400000,4600000,4800000,5000000,5500000,6000000,6500000,7000000,7500000,8000000,8500000,9000000,9500000,10000000,11000000,12000000,13000000,14000000,15000000,16000000,17000000,18000000,19000000,20000000],"prev":116,"next":118,"count_bid":0,"bid_history":[],"tokenExpired":1}