{"status":true,"msg":{"data":{"id":26702,"auction_id":32,"set_id":53,"lot_number":"118","artist":"Lao Lianben (b. 1948)","title":"Water","starting_price":1600000,"signed_dated":"signed and dated 1990  (lower right and verso)","medium":"modeling paste acrylic on wood","size":"36” x 60” (92 cm x 152 cm)","property":null,"coa":null,"provenance":"Private Collection, Manila","exhibited":null,"literature":null,"write_up":"Born in 1948, Lao Lianben has become Asia’s foremost abstractionists working  today. Lao’s zen-like oeuvres are novel and unique, showcasing his inherent genius  and creativity. The artist graduated from the University of the East with a Bachelor  of Fine Arts degree, and then subsequently stunned the local art community with  his highly original experimentations in abstraction. He won first prize in the Shell  Art Awards in 1968 and an honorable mention from the Art Association of the  Philippines. He has since mounted numerous important exhibitions in various cultural  centers such as the National Museum of the Philippines, the Cultural Center of the  Philippines, the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, and the Museum of Contemporary  Art in Madrid. Lao has undoubtedly solidified himself as one of the pioneering voices  in the development of contemporary abstract art. <br /><br /> Much like most of his works, Lao has imbued this piece with the aesthetics and  sensibilities of Zen Buddhism. This acrylic modeling paste on wood piece entitled  Water encapsulates the core philosophy of Lao’s art in respect to nature and the  universe itself. As the title suggests, the work explores the nature of water. But, it is  less interested in the physical and scientific properties of water. Instead, Lao’s piece  unearths its metaphysical importance and how it relates to human life and the soul.  Water has always been an integral part of Buddhism and Zen Buddhism. In classical  Buddhist philosophy, water is considered one of the Mah?bh?ta or the four great  elements, while latter interpretations view its inherent properties of fluidity, viscosity,  solubility, and density as the element’s primary appeal. Thus, water is not only seen  as an element that cleans and purifies, but also one that embodies the perpetual  movement and flow of time. In this piece, the textural subject represents the  ceaseless ebb and flow of water. But, a closer inspection suggests that its movement  pattern is unnatural and hence influenced by some man-made or artificial device.  Despite this, the water’s flow always reverts back to its original position. Thus, Lao’s  Water can be seen as an eternal dance between willpower and nature, indicating  that its immutable nature is one that is defined by this delicate and precarious  balance. Water, much like Lao’s contribution to abstraction, will undoubtedly remain  a persistent force in the world in their own respects.","lot_group":"PAINTING","lot_details_html":null,"alias":null,"hp":3000000,"bp":0.168,"isWithdrawn":0,"accounting_hp":3000000,"userBid":5926,"isPaid":0,"userId":22,"lot_status":"SOLD","isDone":1,"bid_history_id":null,"reserve_price":null,"hammer_price":3504000,"fav":0},"image":[{"id":24127,"img_url":"https://leongallery.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/v2/auction/32/53/lot/118.jpg","isFeatured":1}]},"increment":[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":117,"next":119,"count_bid":0,"bid_history":[],"tokenExpired":1}