See you again, In the Marketplace...

I said buhbye to the works of my fave female Filipina artist Anita Magsaysay-Ho as the Reframing Modernism exhibit ended.

This piece, In the Marketplace, was one of her works that I first became familiar with. In 1999, it was put up for auction at Christie's.

From the estimated price of S$18,000-S$25,000, fierce bidding led to the piece being sold for S$669,000. More than its price tag, the important thing to remember here is that this was a major victory for Filipino artists because it meant the world was taking notice of Filipino artists and their works.

At that time, the buyer's identity was not revealed. I'm happy to now know that it was a Philippine museum (it means the works stay with the Philippines and the public can see it!) and I'm even happier that I saw the piece in real life!

I never thought I would, just like I never thought I would one day meet the artist herself!