T he Outer
signed and dated 2016 (lower right)
oil on canvas
24" x 30" (61 cm x 76 cm)
Accompanied by a certificate signed by the artist confirming the authenticity of this lot



Marcel Antonio, the son of Filipino painters Angelito Antonio and Norma Belleza, was once touted as one of the most promising painters in Philippine contemporary art. Being one of the masters of Expressionism in the local art scene, he has created a remarkable collection of narrative and pseudo-narrative figurative paintings influenced by modernism and 1980s postmodernism. Critics have also regarded Antonio as one of the most notable contemporary Filipino painters, bestowing upon him a multitude of acclaim for his magnetic narratives in oil and acrylic. It would be difficult, if not superfluous, to attempt to find literal meanings to the mise-en-scene in Antonio’s canvas. A narrative that is both fantastic and redolent of whimsical and mythological tales often takes center stage in Antonio’s works. This particular piece titled The Outer seemingly blends together various aspects of social reality, with the surreal nature of Antonio’s practice. The result is a work that seemingly transcends the physical aspects of his subject-matter, and relegates to us the sublime nature of our mundane reality.