After a milestone auction season, Salcedo Auctions, the premiere auction house and art arbiter, holds a groundbreaking show of the couture creations of international fashion designer Michael Cinco and the canvas works of Davao society’s low-key visual artist Caroline “Bing” Taojo. Titled Masterpieces in Motion, the silent auction co-presented by Arthaland is on Sunday, December 8, at an invitational event to be opened by J. Paul Getty Museum curator Paul Martineau.
Fee people outside of serious photography and art circles know of Martineau’s outstanding work as a curator and author of critically acclaimed books featured by international media. On December 8, he will give a talk about the world-renowned Getty Museum and introduce their exhibition and collection programs. As the event’s special guest, Martineau will also open the exhibition showcasing the unique collaborative work of Cinco and Taojo with high fashion, painting, and the images that intersect with his curatorial practice.
Bing Taojo painted on four outfits created by Michael Cinco. Illustrations by Michael Cinco.
An optometrist, Taojo is a self-taught artist who started painting on textiles in her twenties, encouraged by an aunt who was also creatively inclined. “Art materials were limited,” Taojo recalls, “so I bought textile paint – the material available in Tagum back then. At that time, I used Chinese bamboo brushes to paint.”
Art would take a backseat upon her marriage to businessman Noe “Butchoy” Taojo, with whom she raised four children. Many years later, she would pick up the brush again, painting during her off hours as CFO of the family business.
The show at Salcedo Auctions is Taojo’s first in Manila and her first foray into a collaborative project. For the event, she painted on four of Cinco’s collection, casual to evening wear. A section of the gallery will showcase her own works on canvas featuring flowers—a favorite subject.
Bing Taojo’s ‘Flower Dance,’ acrylic on canvas, dated 2024. (Image courtesy of Salcedo Auctions)
For Cinco, the collaboration came at an opportune time, as he has started drawing inspiration from artists like Gustav Klimt. The Salcedo event will feature 13 of his designs, including the four items bearing Taojo’s paintings.
At the event, 13 cutting-edge creations by Michael Cinco will be up for silent bidding, including four pieces featuring Bing Taojo’s paintings. Illustrations by Michael Cinco.
The international designer created a range that shows the breadth of his work. Nine show-stopping ballgowns, Cinco’s signature style, are up for silent bidding. Four more wearable pieces, for formal or more casual occasions, supplement the ballgowns. They prove how Cinco has become a favorite of beauty queens and global celebrities who’ve worn his drop-dead glam designs on the red carpet and on-stage performances.
Michael Cinco’s Egyptian cape will be shown in the one-day invitational event, which has never been shown in Manila.
His clientele includes Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, Mariah Carey, Kylie Minogue, Lady Gaga, Lil Nas X, and Nick Jonas, Sofia Vergara, James McAvoy, Mila Kunis, Bollywood’s Deepika Padukone, Salman Khan, and Norah Fateh—who stunned in Cinco’s design while performing the finale of the FIFA World Cup closing ceremony in Qatar in 2022.
But a particular design was a historical feat. In 2017, Cinco created the wedding dress for Swarovski heiress Victoria Swarovski, doing one over the fashion world greats with the USD 1 million gown (reportedly the world’s most expensive to date) that made the internet buzz.
With 13 Michael Cinco creations being made available to a select clientele without having to fly to Dubai and 20 of Bing Taojo’s paintings making their Manila debut, ‘Masterpieces in Motion’ should be a buzz-worthy Philippine arts and culture calendar year-ender. For inquiries, email info@salcedoauctions.com or phone +63917 1075581. For updates, follow @salcedoauctions on Instagram and Facebook.
