Joven Mansit Paintings & Artwork for Sale | Joven Mansit Art Value Price Guide

Sep. 09, 2023
Joven Mansit (b. 1948) - Filipino Ladies in Sunday Dress
Est: ₱300,000 - ₱390,000
Joven Mansit (b. 1948) Filipino Ladies in Sunday Dress dated 2007 mixed media on canvas 37" x 36" (94 cm x 91 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by The big & small art co. Gallery and signed by the artist confirming the authenticity of this lot In all its absurdity, there is something haunting about the works of Joven Mansit. While the colonial images of the Filipino we find in his works are familiar, they strike the viewer less with a sense of nostalgia and more with an eerie familiarity. Even as he deploys a graphically absurd manipulation of pictures referenced from late 19th century and early 20th century photographs, the result is a sense of humor subdued by the ghostly and traditional render in oil of a faded historical past—now distorted and grotesque. And yet, for all the graphic distortion employed in Mansit’s paintings, they nonetheless bear truths which, eerily, seem to ring truer than the original turn-of-the-century pictures he references. In this mixed media work, Mansit references a turn-of-the- century photograph of the same name: Filipino Ladies in Sunday Dress. While the original photograph captures two Filipinas garbed modestly in period clothing, Mansit’s contemporary take is an undressing of truth. He redresses one of the women in a revealing baro’t saya and turns the image into that of a temptress who seduces comically with a sliced papaya as the forbidden fruit of temptation. The truth is thus bared: that such images akin to the modest Maria Clara ideal are not as innocent as they are purported to be. Instead, they merely constitute part of a grander picture of colonial and patriarchal myth-making that paints the Maria Clara ideal of a Filipino lady—that is, a woman who is perfectly respectable exactly because of their allegedly modest and submissive character. The criticality of Mansit’s paintings can be attributed to the allegorical play of images at work. The original photographs he references are allegories in themselves, deliberately underhanded in their intentions, in how they paint the Filipino natives in the grand scheme of history and things. Through Mansit’s contemporary technique, he adds another layer of allegory by referencing and then re- presenting this ‘historically canon’ image of the Filipina. By using an image from the colonial spectacle against itself, Mansit puts forward a new picture that is both disturbingly off and familiar—or rather, more accurately, it disturbs because the artist puts forward a critical truth that disturbs a colonial one. (Pie Tiausas)
Leon Gallery
Sep. 09, 2023
Joven Mansit (b. 1948) - a.) Learning To Fly 1 b.) Learning To Fly 3
Est: ₱200,000 - ₱260,000
Joven Mansit (b. 1948) a.) Learning To Fly 1 b.) Learning To Fly 3 a.) dated 2007 b.) 2007 a.) oil on canvas b.) oil on canvas a.) 24" x 24" (61 cm x 61 cm) b.) 24" x 24" (61 cm x 61 cm) Each piece is accompanied by a certificate issued by The big & small art co. Gallery and signed by the artist confirming the authenticity of this lot Joven Mansit’s unique artistic practice posits him masterful weaver of memory, seamlessly intertwining the past with the present through his thoughtprovoking creations. As he consistently brings to life the imagery of turn-of-the-century Filipiniana photographs, Mansit's work takes on the role of a visual historian, reconstructing narratives that transcend mere representation. His chosen subject matter serves as a gateway into a profound exploration of the intricate interplay between culture, identity, and historical memory. Employing a deliberate palette of sepia tones, Mansit's canvases evoke an evanescent nostalgia, reminiscent of aged photographs held dear in familial albums. These hues, imbued with the patina of time, act as a bridge between eras, inviting viewers to journey through the corridors of history. It's not merely the visual appearance that captivates, but the underlying intention — a meticulous attempt to grapple with the multifaceted dimensions of representation. Yet, beyond surface appearances, his works harbor subtle marks of disintegration, symbolic of the inevitable passage of time. This acknowledgment of decay and aging imparts an added layer of authenticity to his pieces, echoing the transitory nature of existence itself. Mansit's strokes of genius, however, do not cease at mimicry; rather, they boldly stride into the realm of inquiry. (Jed Daya)
Leon Gallery
Jun. 17, 2023
Joven Mansit (b. 1984)
Est: ₱120,000 - ₱156,000
Ale signed and 2019 (lower right) oil and acrylic on canvas 36" x 24" (91 cm x 61 cm) Accompanied by a certificate issued by Pintô Art Museum confirming the authenticity of this lot PROVENANCE Private Collection, Manila In the act of nation-building, it is of utmost importance to not only lay the foundations of a fully-functioning state, but to unite its people under a common cause. For despite the borders and regions we draw for ourselves, it is undoubtedly the people who form its roots and decide its scope. Culture and identity are so much more than descriptive elements of a society, but a common thread that ties us together and moves us forward. It is a shared idea that binds a culture and a society together, and nothing ties a people together than memory. But memories are a fickle thing. If it is not uncommon to forget the details of what one had done a month, or even a week, how can we trust ourselves to remember things that have happened even further back in time, let alone collectively. Memories may be a monolith, but they are not set in stone. They are fluid, dynamic, and sometimes even downright malleable. But they are irrevocably human. Such is the approach of contemporary Filipino artist Joven Mansit. Mansit’s works often utilize different styles and techniques that evoke images of old photographs, documents, and other objects often attributed to records and references. But despite the commitment to this aesthetic, Mansit’s works are anything but typical. His pieces offer us a surreal collection of images that evoke humorous, ironic, and even critical examinations of different eras of our history. But what undoubtedly ties these all together is the fact that these pieces showcase how flexible memory can be. Wherein each Mansit piece carries with it a degree of verisimilitude that makes us question what is real and what isn't. Though Mansit’s works do not offer us an answer, they offer us something even greater. For one can argue that it is the role of art to show us the very real condition we are in. (J.D.)
Leon Gallery
Dec. 03, 2022
Joven Mansit (b. 1984) Diwata #5
Est: ₱80,000 - ₱104,000
Diwata #5 signed and dated 2016 (lower right) pastel on tea-stained paper 39 1/4" x 27 1/2" (99 cm x 70 cm) Artists are no stranger to sourcing inspiration from events that have transpired. From Jan van Eyck’s 1434 depiction of the aristocrat Giovani di Nicolao Arnolfini and his wife, to Pablo Picasso’s monumental piece on the Spanish Civil War titled Guernica, artists have used history as their muse as a way of grounding themselves in our world. But these pieces are not merely depictions of events, but are also effectively critiques of the reality of the human condition. In the same vein, the meticulously stylized paintings of contemporary visual artist Joven Mansit are more than unique or quirky aestheticizations of our colonial past, but contemporary critiques to the way we view our own history, culture, and identity. Mansit’s paintings and collages stemmed from the artist's oversaturated experience with unapologetically Filipino-themed paintings that defined the parts of the 20th century. These paintings were often filled with idyllic images, from beautiful rural landscapes, to austere locals garbed in traditional attire. Though these works and the style of art are undoubtedly seminal pieces of Philippine Art History, in order to break ground and find new ways art could be used as a medium of both expression and critique, Mansit took it upon himself to create a practice that was firmly rooted in our history, but also critical of what had transpired. Though Mansit has created numerous pieces, all of which tackle different historical events and eras, similarities have been drawn between Mansit’s style and the early look of photographs that were prevalent during the turn of the 20th century. Though photography in the Philippines was present during the Spanish colonial era, namely as an art form reserved for the upper echelons of society, it was arguably only during the American occupation of the archipelago that photography really broke out of its shell as medium for documentation and ethnographic analysis. Among the works produced during this period were the photographs of the American Dean Worcester. But while Worcester’s photographs were used as a medium for ethnographic research, Mansit’s pieces approach history in a different way. The artist’s works often take a much more humorous treatment, effectively utilizing irony and satire as its core. Though one might question the ethics of indulging in humor when one speaks of history, especially when it comes to complex and traumatic events, one must also understand that such an approach, when done correctly, has the potential of being critical and furthering the conversation. The philosopher Ted Cohen emphasizes the importance of telling jokes, especially within communities , by stating that “When metaphors go across and jokes work, communities of appreciation are realized, but these are essentially non- conscripted communities, because there is no penalty for failing to join them. I have been understanding these communities, principally, as what I have been calling intimate communities of feeling.” Humor allows us a degree of levity that ultimately opens up the floor for conversation, especially when such things are often left highly guarded. This method is undoubtedly present in Mansit’s work. The presence of irony and satire in his pieces, such as this one titled Uncommon Sense, effectively looks at events that have had convoluted effects on our history, but does so in a way that teaches us to process historical trauma in a way that both acknowledges it and opens it up to critique and progress. (J.D.)
Leon Gallery
Jul. 30, 2022
Joven Mansit (b. 1984)
Est: ₱50,000 - ₱65,000
Joven Mansit (b. 1984) Untitled signed and dated 2010 (upper left) mixed media on paper 19” x 12” (48 cm x 30 cm)
Leon Gallery
Jun. 05, 2021
Joven Mansit (b. 1984)
Est: ₱180,000 - ₱234,000
Joven Mansit (b. 1984) Untitled signed (lower right) pastel on tea stain paper 39” x 27” (99 cm x 69 cm) The meticulously stylized hyper-realist paintings of contemporary visual artist Joven Mansit are more than unique or quirky visualizations of our colonial past, but contemporary critiques to the way we view our own history, culture, and identity. Mansit collages stemmed from the artist’s oversaturated encounters with unapologetically Filipino-themed paintings of the 90s. These paintings were often filled with idyllic images, from beautiful rural landscapes to austere locals garbed in traditional attire. For Mansit, despite the focus on local and traditional themes, these pieces often present history and culture as a one-sided whole, obfuscating the complexities and nuances that make up its reality. Thus, Mansit’s works approach tradition through a different lens. His pieces, though palpably historical, do not contain any trace of nostalgia. Instead, his works are imbued with irreverent humor and irony, granting him the ability to tackle new and novel possibilities without risking dogmatism. Mansit’s works reveal the emancipatory potential of culture that respects its past, but urges the creation of new paths as well.
Leon Gallery
Sep. 19, 2020
Joven Mansit (b. 1983) - Concepcion
Est: ₱700,000 - ₱910,000
Joven Mansit (b. 1983) Concepcion signed and dated 2008 (lower right) oil on canvas Contemporary artist Joven Mansit’s artistic preoccupations include evoking new meanings as he both affirms and negates familiar historical images through reimaging and adding humorous, ironic, or irreverent elements in his works. Philippine history books and archives serve as his resource materials for recreating old photographs in which he also injects his own visual manipulations, usually suggestive of nationalistic observations. He reconnects Filipinos to Philippine history in this attention-grabbing piece featuring a 19th century Filipina with a 16th-century expedition ship atop her head, juxtaposed in sepia tones. Here, he particularly captures the spirit of the Spanish era colonialism in this recreation of an old photograph turned into a large-scale painting by rendering not just the subject and the manipulated image of the ship, but also down to its folds and discoloration qualities. The woman’s off shoulder upper clothing is a fascinating notable feature and a contemporary take on the Filipiniana clothes of the said period. Estimate in USD $14000-$18200
Leon Gallery
Sep. 19, 2020
Joven Mansit (b. 1983) - Aureola
Est: ₱700,000 - ₱910,000
Joven Mansit (b. 1983) Aureola signed and dated 2010 (lower left) mixed media PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF A DISTINGUISHED COUPLE The meticulously stylized hyperrealism paintings of contemporary visual artist Joven Mansit are more than unique or quirky aestheticizations of our colonial past, but contemporary critiques to the way we view our own history, culture, and identity. Mansit collages stemmed from the artist’s oversaturated encounters with unapologetically Filipino-themed paintings of the 90s. These paintings were often filled with idyllic images, from beautiful rural landscapes to austere locals garbed in traditional attire. For Mansit, despite the focus on local and traditional themes, these pieces often present history and culture as a one-sided whole, obfuscating the complexities and nuances that make up its reality. Thus, Mansit’s works approach tradition through a different lens. His pieces, though palpably historical, do not contain any trace of nostalgia. Instead, his works are imbued with irreverent humor and irony, granting him the ability to tackle new and novel possibilities without risking dogmatism. Mansit’s works reveals the emancipatory potential of culture that respects its past, but urges the creation of new paths as well. Estimate in USD $1400-$1820
Leon Gallery
Jun. 20, 2020
Joven Mansit (b. 1984) - High School Student, 1914
Est: ₱500,000 - ₱650,000
Joven Mansit (b. 1984) High School Student, 1914 signed and dated 2007 (lower right) oil on canvas 36” x 27” (91 cm x 69 cm) Estimate USD $10000-$13000 Estimate Euros €8333.33-€10833.33
Leon Gallery
Mar. 14, 2020
Joven Mansit (b. 1984)
Est: ₱400,000 - ₱500,000
Cara Y Cruz
Salcedo Auctions
Nov. 30, 2019
Halic
Est: ₱240,000 - ₱312,000
Through a clever interplay of symbols, images, and ideas, contemporary artist Joven Mansit manages to achieve a level of discourse that only a few artists, scholars, and intellectuals have achieved. By utilizing genre conventions often ascribed to comedy such as satire, parody, and lampoon, Mansit transforms relatively heavy subject matters into a much more accessible form. This act of grounding invites responsibly informed discourse that is not weighed down by the plight of its actuality or forced into obscurity by its trivial subject-matter. In this work, one is immediately drawn to the comically framed details of the piece. Yet its allure does not stop there. The dissonance that stems from the juxtaposition of disparate elements evokes a pedagogy that leads the viewer to seek out critical discourse.
Leon Gallery
Dec. 01, 2018
Joven Mansit (b.1984) Class Picture, 1914
Est: ₱400,000 - ₱520,000
Joven Mansit (b.1984) Class Picture, 1914 signed and dated 2007 (lower right) mixed media 42” x 58 1/2” (107 cm x 149 cm) For years now, Joven Mansit has been creating a body of work that deconstructs old Filipiniana photographs by introducing wildly divergent and incongruous elements. Still in sepia, the works all of sudden generate an alarming, almost sinister, quality, disrupting the expectation of the viewer in finding “truth” in photographic documentation, albeit translated into paintings. In this work, Class Picture, 1914, Mansit transforms a common subject into some kind of a memento mori. A coffin, capped with a skull, sits front and center. The teacher presides over it with a halo. Save for a few, the students either bear food or torches, or have been transformed into body parts or technological apparatuses. What is usually a sedate occurrence (sitting for a class picture) becomes a cacophony of odors and sounds. It becomes all the more disconcerting because of the presence of the dead that is supposed to revered. Mansit, in incorporating these details, “resurrects” the photograph from history and delivers an oblique, though no less unstinting, critique on how once solemn events, such as funerals, have become festive.
Leon Gallery
Sep. 08, 2018
Joven Mansit (b.1984)
Est: ₱300,000 - ₱390,000
Joven Mansit (b.1984) Manila Hemp Factory A Theatre of the Absurd. This scenario can be the interiors of a turn of the century warehouse of the Smith Bell and Company, in many of the surreal painterly narratives of Joven Mansit, life is often depicted in a humorous way. However, the lightheartedness is only apparent, for more ironic undercurrents disturb his amusing scenarios. In fact, in the complex multipilicity of scenes that animate his most representative paintings, men and women in the past are living out their lives, all under the tyranny of the absurd. The ambiguity makes us look and look again. Mansit has invented a colonial industrialscape half fantastic and half logical, where both time and place are mysterious. A surrealist notwithstanding, Mansit’s artistic honesty is probably in never having to contrive sophisticated, gymnastic aesthetics, in order to place the most disparate and most bizarre objects in his pictures. The perfectly circular formation of bottles being juggled provides a sense of reinforcing order to the logical disorder. He sees it as a series of contradictory ideas which cannot be resolved into any rationale. signed and dated 2007 (lower left) mixed media 30” x 30” (76 cm x 76 cm)
Leon Gallery
Jul. 27, 2018
Unknown Artist Nude signed and dated 1981 (lower right) mixed media 24" x
Est: ₱80,000 - ₱104,000
Unknown Artist Nude signed and dated 1981 (lower right) mixed media 24" x 17" (61 cm x 43 cm)
Leon Gallery
Sep. 09, 2017
Untitled
Est: ₱400,000 - ₱520,000
Joven Mansit (b.1984) Quantity: 1
Leon Gallery
Feb. 18, 2017
Joven Mansit (b.1984) Lola
Est: ₱400,000 - ₱520,000
Joven Mansit (b.1984) Lola signed and dated 2008 (lower right) oil on canvas 2008 48” x 36” (122 cm x 91 cm)
Leon Gallery
Sep. 10, 2016
Joven Mansit (b.1984)
Est: ₱300,000 - ₱390,000
Joven Mansit (b.1984) Piring signed and dated 2009 (upper right) oil on canvas with emulsion transfer detail 36” x 24” (91 cm x 61 cm)
Leon Gallery
Jun. 11, 2016
Joven Mansit (b.1984), Market Scene
Est: ₱400,000 - ₱520,000
Joven Mansit (b.1984), Market Scene, signed and dated 2007 (lower right), mixed media, 24” x 36” (61 cm x 91 cm)
Leon Gallery
Feb. 20, 2016
Joven Mansit (b.1984) Hula-hoop
Est: ₱80,000 - ₱104,000
Joven Mansit (b.1984) Hula-hoop signed and dated 2015 (lower right) pastel on tea stain paper 25 1/4 x 16 1/4 (64 cm x 41 cm)
Leon Gallery
Feb. 20, 2016
Joven Mansit (b.1984) Scene from the Revolution
Est: ₱300,000 - ₱390,000
Joven Mansit (b.1984) Scene from the Revolution signed (lower right) dated 2007 mixed media 30 x 60 (76 cm x 152 cm)
Leon Gallery
Dec. 05, 2015
Joven Mansit (b.1984)
Est: ₱400,000 - ₱520,000
Joven Mansit (b.1984) Trinidad dated 2009 oil on canvas 72” x 33” (183 cm x 84 cm)
Leon Gallery
Sep. 12, 2015
Joven Mansit (b.1984)
Est: ₱100,000 - ₱130,000
Joven Mansit (b.1984) Rizal Cigar signed and dated 2010 (lower left) oil on canvas 24” x 18” (61 cm x 46 cm)
Leon Gallery
Jun. 13, 2015
Joven Mansit (b.1984)
Est: ₱100,000 - ₱130,000
Maniobra
Leon Gallery