León Gallery and the Asian Cultural Council Philippines Foundation, Inc. officially launch the Asian Cultural Council Auction 2025, happening on Valentine’s Day, February 14, at 2 PM.
Now in its 11th year, this annual benefit art auction is built on the shared interest in advancing the creative virtuosity of Filipino artists and their willingness to spread their wings abroad, thereby fostering harmonious cultural dialogues.
The generous partnership between León Gallery and the ACCP has since produced more than 40 grantees across painting, sculpture, music, dance, theatre, art criticism, art conservation, and museology.
The Asian Cultural Council Auction marks León Gallery’s opening salvo for the new year.
“The spirit of collaboration runs deep in this year’s edition of the Asian Cultural Council Auction,” León Gallery Director Jaime Ponce de Leon said. “Now in our 11th year of partnership with our friends from the ACC Philippines Foundation, this annual benefit art auction takes place on Valentine’s Day, endowing the gift of love and generosity by remaining committed to championing the virtuoso of the Filipino artist, allowing him to spread his creative wings on foreign shores.”
ACC Philippines President Ernest L. Escaler also shared his warm sentiments for this annual auction. He said, “For eleven years, the Asian Cultural Council Philippines Foundation, Inc. and León Gallery have stood side by side in a shared vision—to champion the arts as a force that transcends borders, sparks dialogue, and shapes cultural leadership. This enduring partnership is rooted in a belief that art has the power to connect people, tell our stories, and carry the spirit of creativity forward to future generations of Filipino artists.”
Ponce de Leon noted that the “major highlights for this year’s ACC auction underscore the remarkable collaborations between our esteemed Filipino artists.”
“Paglaom Padayon” is a mural-sized painting by the Sanggawa group, an artists’ collective organized by former ‘Salingpusa’ members and now powerful voices in the contemporary art scene: Elmer Borlongan, Mark Justiniani, Joy Mallari, Karen Flores, and Federico Sievert. The title is a Cebuano phrase that translates to “move forward with hope” and is a modern-day homage to Botong Francisco’s iconic 1964 mural “Filipino Struggles Through History.” “Paglaom Padayon” encapsulates the Filipino people’s collective power, fueled by a shared vision and hope for the nation’s advancement.
Another collaborative mural-sized painting is Mauro Malang Santos’ “Interaction” with his two beloved sons, Soler and Steve. Painted in 2000, the new millennium, the colossal work marked Malang’s 72nd birthday and his four decades in the art scene. The said masterpiece is especially notable and fitting for this day of love, as it was the first collaborative work that Malang painted with his equally talented and artistic sons.
Works by Patricio Gaston O’Farrell, the favorite student of Juan Luna, are also highlights of this sale, led by his copy of his mentor’s now-lost 1887 masterpiece, “Portrait of Christ,” depicting the weary Jesus as he is presented to Pontius Pilate for his trial. Portrait of Christ serves as a surviving memento of Luna’s lost work, which he painted four months after his 1886 marriage to Paz Pardo de Tavera to prove his religious piety to her wife.
Another O’Farrell masterpiece, “Sumbungan,” depicts the betrayal of the Katipunan by a katipunero, Teodoro Patiño, who divulged its existence to Fr. Mariano Gil, then the parish priest of Tondo. The painting is one of O’Farrell’s last works, painted a year before he died in 1942. Both Portrait of Christ and Sumbungan came from the collection of Gaston O’Farrell’s daughter, Edith.
Anita Magsaysay-Ho and her quaint “Barrio Scene” is one of her first paintings as a newlywed woman and thus one of her first works signed with the iconic “Anita Magsaysay-Ho.” The work was painted in the months after her marriage to Robert Ho, heir to the shipping fortune of one of Shanghai’s most prominent industrialist families. “Barrio Scene” would be acquired by Paul H. Woods, who was once the president of the influential American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines and also a former president of the Philippine subsidiary of the International Harvesters Company, an American manufacturer of agricultural equipment, machinery, and tractors.
Another important work is Danilo Dalena’s “America,” the only surviving work of an intended series, the “Port Authority Series,” which would have embodied his satirical impressions of the United States he first visited and witnessed in the late 1990s.
The rare and complete 14-volume set of Fray Juan de la Concepcion’s “Historia General de Philipinas” graces this sale, further made significant by its inclusion of an original copper engraving of Fr. Pedro Murillo Velarde’s “Mapa de las Yslas Filipinas,” dubbed “The Mother of All Philippine Maps.” A first edition copy of Dr. Jose Rizal’s “El Filibusterismo” is also a coveted lot, as it was signed and personally dedicated by the national hero to a fellow ilustrado and compadre, the illustrious Don Trinidad H. Pardo de Tavera. This copy of the El Fili is the companion to the first-edition copy of the “Noli Me Tangere” that was sold for a record-breaking price by León Gallery in September 2025.
Ponce de Leon and Escaler eagerly invite everyone to participate in this most generous occasion.
“On behalf of Team León Gallery, join us as we continue our mission to support the Filipino artist and foster cultural exchanges across the globe,” Ponce de Leon said. “This Valentine’s Day, let us allow love to prevail, one that cultivates passion for the arts and goodwill towards each other in building a culturally conscious nation.”
Meanwhile, Escaler remarked, “On this day of love, we invite you to be part of a collective effort that strengthens our cultural ecosystem and affirms the lasting power of art to inspire, connect, and transform.”
The Asian Cultural Council Auction is happening this February 14, 2026, 2 PM, at Eurovilla 1, Rufino corner Legazpi Streets, Legazpi Village, Makati City. Preview week is from February 7 to 13, 2026, 9 AM to 7 PM. For further inquiries, email info@leon-gallery.com or contact +632 8856-27-81. To browse the catalog, visit www.leon-gallery.com. Follow León Gallery on their social media pages for timely updates: Facebook – www.facebook.com/leongallerymakati and Instagram @leongallerymakati.
