Rodel Tapaya work from TD Collection eclipses previous auction record

16.03.2016

The Tiroche DeLeon Collection acquired "Big Fish" (2010) in 2011. Salcedo Auction achieved a new world record in March 2016 when it sold for $150,000, representing a net multiple of 21X and an impressive 73% IRR for fund investors.

Symptomatic of the fund's Bar-Bell investment strategy where a meaningful portion of fund assets are invested in young talents, we feel that this record-breaking result proves yet again the collection's ability to generate outsized returns as artist careers mature.

Tiroche DeLeon was the first international collection to acquire Tapaya's large scale paintings. ‘Cane of Kabunian, Numbered But Cannot Be Counted’ was the first monumental work produced by the artist. We acquired it in April 2011 while still in progress at the artist's studio, prior to his international debut. It is this painting that catapulted Tapaya's international recognition when it was nominated, and later won, the prestigious Asia-Pacific Breweries Foundation “Signature Art Prize", presented at the Singapore Art Museum in December 2011 for the best artwork across Asia. Just before the winner was announced we acquired our second Tapaya painting "Big Fish".

Following the demise of Rodel's first Berlin gallery, we introduced the artist to Matthias Arndt, who has since been managing Tapaya's international career, placing him in major international collections and important Biennales, and publishing books. Over time, we continued to add works by Tapaya to our collection. Following the sale of Big Fish we remain owners of three excellent examples of Rodel's fascinating paintings.

Rodel Tapaya's works are marked by labyrinthine patterns and recurring whimsical characters derived from folk narratives embedded in Filipino cultural history. Utilizing a range of media mainly in painting, Tapaya makes use of age-old myth to create a new visual language. His giant creatures, goblins, spirits and gods are allegories to comment our contemporary life, immortalize historical personalities and examine national history. His detailed execution, use of bright colors and folk aesthetic brings the audience to an esoteric and fantastic dimension, which makes Tapaya’s art so magical.

Left: Rodel Tapaya in his studio, 2010. Right: Rodel Tapaya'Cane of Kabunian, Numbered but Cannot be Counted', 2010, Acrylic on canvas, 304 x 609 cm.

Due to his exposure in international exhibitions and success in important regional art contests, Tapaya has become one of the most acclaimed and active artists in South-East Asia.

Rodel Tapaya was born in 1980 in Montalban, Rizal, situated a few kilometers away from Manila. After winning an international painting tilt, he pursued intensive drawing and painting courses at Parsons School of Design in New York and from the University of Art and Design in Helsinki prior to graduating from the College of Fine Arts at the University of the Philippines. Since then, he has had several solo exhibitions hosted in Berlin, Beijing, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore, and Manila. Rodel Tapaya received the 2011 Signature Art Prize granted by the Asia-Pacific Breweries Foundation and the Singapore Art Museum. He was also among the Thirteen Artists Awardee of the Cultural Center of the Philippines in 2012. Prior to this, he was shortlisted four times to the Ateneo Art Awards in four separate years and won a jury prize to the Phillip-Morris Philippine Art Awards in 2007. Since 2008, he has lived and worked in the province of Bulacan, the Philippines.