MANILA, PHILIPPINES – The country’s most trusted auction house, León Gallery, once again opens its doors to collectors and connoisseurs of fine art and antiques with its first live auction event of the year—the Asian Cultural Council Auction 2022, happening on Mar. 5, 2022, Saturday, at 2 PM.
“The start of every year is always a new beginning,” shared León Gallery Director Jaime Ponce de Leon.
Now in its 7th year, León Gallery’s The Asian Cultural Council Auction has become an annual tradition that celebrates the enduring partnership and shared commitment between the two prominent institutions of culture and the arts.
The ACC, formerly known as the Rockefeller Foundation (named after its founder, John D. Rockefeller III), promotes and advances international dialogue, understanding, and respect through cultural exchange activities in Asia and the United States to create a more harmonious and peaceful world.
As a grant-making and grant-seeking organization, the ACC regularly raises funds from individual, foundation, and corporate donors. The ACC has supported 6,000 exchanges across 26 countries and regions and 16 artistic disciplines for six decades.
“We are delighted to celebrate this year, the 60th anniversary of the Asian Cultural Council and ACC Philippines’ (ACCP) 22 years of building solidarities and affirming the exceptional talent of our very own artists,” said ACC Philippines Chairman Ernest I. Escaler.
“Through its existence, ACC has been continuously pursuing active ways in raising funds to help talented and deserving artists. Along the way, a sense of commitment is forged and shared as new connections are built, and many more choose to join in the cause of giving,” added Escaler.
Thus, Leon Gallery is once again partnering with the ACC to carry on with its unwavering dedication to promoting Filipino virtuosity. A portion of the proceeds of this auction will be donated to the ACC to help subsidize its grants for Filipino and other Asian artists and arts-based practitioners.
“The Asian Cultural Council is committed to support the Filipino artist and one in which León Gallery stands with them, and once more we salute them in their vision,” expressed Ponce de Leon.
To foster the ACC’s mission of bringing Filipino artists to the global stage, works by ACC grantees Ambie Abaño, Nikki Luna, Don Salubayba, Dex Fernandez, Anton del Castillo, and Noel Cuizon are set to go under the hammer in Leon’s upcoming auction.
This auction highlights Filipino artists who have made a name for themselves in the international art arena. These artists rightfully earned their prestige, thus exhibiting the inherent creativity and artistry of the Filipino. Celebrated Filipino masters Juan Luna and Felix Resureccion Hidalgo, pioneering modernists Nena Saguil, Lee Aguinaldo, and Jose Joya (an ACC grantee himself), influential co-founder of the Park Place Gallery in New York Leo Valledor, and seasoned contemporary stars Benedicto Cabrera and Ronald Ventura lead the pack of this highly anticipated event.
The ACC auction also features foreign artists, once more proving Leon Gallery’s world-class quality of its curated lots. Don’t miss out on the Indonesian avant-garde Affandi, considered a towering figure in the history of Indonesian modern art, and the global sensation Yayoi Kusama.
Leon Gallery is also recognized for the impeccable provenance of its selection. Hence, prized possessions from the collection of society grand dame and Manila’s last doyenne Doña Nene Tuason Quimson, which reveal her discerning taste in the arts, will also be auctioned. This exciting lineup includes an imposing oil painting by Betsy Westendorp, which is perhaps the largest work by the artist to come to market. Vistas of the Pasig River, from the eyes of the “Master of Genre” Fabian de la Rosa, as well as works by Fernando Amorsolo representing the peak and twilight of his career, also comprise Quimson’s exquisite collection. This auction will also be offering a Jose Joya masterpiece from the collection of dauntless journalist Letty Jimenez-Magsanoc and formerly in the Museum of Philippine Art (MOPA) collection.
A preview of these lots will be held on Feb. 26-Mar. 4, 2022, from 9 AM to 7 PM, Saturday to Friday, at León Gallery, G/F Eurovilla 1, Rufino corner Legazpi Streets, Legaspi Village, Makati City.
This event is co-presented by ANCX.ph, the urban man’s guide to culture and style, and the lifestyle website of the ABS-CBN News Channel. For further inquiries, email info@leon- gallery.com or contact +632 8856-27-81. To browse The Asian Cultural Council Auction catalog, visit www.leon-gallery.com. For updates, follow León Gallery on their social media pages: Facebook – www.facebook.com/leongallerymakati and Instagram @leongallerymakati.
