Kathleen “Maymay” Lior-Liechtenstein, the enigmatic president of Ballet Philippines, recently launched the dance company’s 53rd season filled with so much hope. After all, the group has successfully crawled out of the—fingers crossed—worst days of the pandemic. After two years of online classes and performances, BP is set to take their Arabesques and Pliés where they’ve never Arabesqued and Pliéd before. Call it “revenge dancing,” she says.
Maymay, apart from heading the country’s premier ballet company, is also known for conjuring multi-sensorial experiences through the dinners she hosts at home, transporting her guests to magical locations through unique flavors and fantastic tablescapes. What easily sets the tone for these magical dinners are the family’s collection of kinetic sculptures by the late great Gabby Barredo, a dear friend to the Liechtensteins.
As someone who knows a thing or two about taking people to dreamy locales via art and the imagination—whether it be a ballet or a sumptuous repast—we thought it would be nice to ask Maymay what catches her fancy among the treasures in the upcoming Leon Gallery Spectacular Midyear Auction 2022. Here are her favorites:
![Lot 30 “Lady in Red (Portrait of Mable Reese [McGowen] Robertson)” by Fernando Amorsolo](https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/ancx/culture/2022/16/30maymay.jpg)
Lot 30 “Lady in Red (Portrait of Mable Reese [McGowen] Robertson)” by Fernando Amorsolo
Signed and dated 1937 (lower right); oil on canvas; 30" x 27 1/2" (76 cm x 70 cm)
“His dramatic but simple colors place the woman as a figure of both strength and grace. It is bold and stately. It’s a thunderous portrait but with controlled use of colors.”
Lot 50 “The Menagerie” by Marcel Antonio
Signed (lower left, right panel) dated 1999; acrylic on canvas; 48" x 36" (122 cm x 91 cm) each; overall: 48" x 72" (122 cm x 183 cm)
“Skills and intellect in one canvas—in a rather unconventional frame—make for always interesting dynamics.”
Lot 59 “Poinsettia Girl” by Victorio Edades
Signed and dated 1976 (lower right); oil on wood board; 28" x 24" (71 cm x 61 cm)
“I dare one to enter a room and not be attracted to this piece! The angst and the raw emotions are palpable as the colors!”
Lot 111 “A Cascade of Orchids” by Betsy Westendorp
Signed and dated 1991 (lower left); oil on canvas; 51 1/2" x 64" (131 cm x 163 cm)
“These pretty flowers are really more than just orchids—they tell a compelling story: charming beauty against a background of blue—an ocean of joy or a tumultuous sky. I look at it and feel the tenderest whispers of life.”
Lot 12 “A Countryside Dawn” by Teodoro Buenaventura
Signed and dated January-14-1938 (lower right); oil on canvas; 20" x 30" (51 cm x 76cm)
“The brilliance of dawn captured in spectacular yet soft masterstrokes. Nothing forced, just the softness of light.”
[Leon Gallery’s Spectacular Mid-Year Auction 2022 is happening this June 11 at 2PM. Co-presented by ANCX, the auction gathers a staggering 142 lots made up of art from Filipino masters and contemporary artists, as well as precious antiques. To browse what’s in store, visit the Leon Gallery website by clicking on this link.]
Images courtesy of Leon Gallery