NESTOR CAMINA 1988 OIL PAINTING CANVAS SIGNED ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONIST FILIPINO

Original Or Reproduction

Vintage original

Oil on Canvas | 52 x 51 in. A rare, museum-worthy masterwork by Filipino expressionist Nestor Camina—whose visceral canvases serve as both personal exorcisms and political diaries of displacement. Painted in 1988, Untitled is a monumental expression of fractured identity and spiritual defiance, rendered in Camina’s hallmark palette of electrified primaries and dense noir shadows. A lone, contorted figure stands against a theatrical abstract backdrop—blood red slicing across stormy greys, punctuated by searing beams of yellow and celestial bands of turquoise. It’s as if the subject is trapped mid-resurrection: a ghost of the diaspora caught in limbo, too burdened to ascend, too human to collapse. Camina’s bold, almost primitive application of oil echoes the emotional violence of post-war European expressionism, yet remains grounded in Southeast Asian mysticism and postcolonial grief. This piece is not simply painted—it is excavated, torn from the psyche of an artist whose life straddled continents, ideologies, and familial legacy. Nestor Camina's work lives on not only through his own paintings but also through the legacy of his daughter, Kathryn Camina—the acclaimed architect and visual designer whose contributions to the Smithsonian’s Udvar-Hazy Center underscore a rare intergenerational brilliance bridging fine art and American cultural heritage. Provenance: Private Collection, United States Condition: Very good overall. Unframed. Original canvas with visible edge wear consistent with age. Structurally stable. Exhibited: Never publicly shown. This is its first offering on the open market. Estimate: $4,200 – $8,850 Comparable Sales: Works by Filipino diaspora artists of the 1980s have gained increasing interest, especially with collectors seeking raw, unfiltered postcolonial narratives. Investment Note: With strong provenance and cross-disciplinary legacy, this painting holds strong potential for institutional acquisition or private collection growth