Dalena's Expressionist style and somber colors are contradicted by the sarcasm, and satirical, irreverent sense of humor in his paintings. His subjects are both hilarious and pitiful — from the jai alai betting areas, to the sleazy Alibangbang beerhouse and its habitues, to the "toilets", "urinals" or "kubetas". His wit and brutal frankness have been sharpened as an editorial cartoonist of Free Press.


For art critic Alfredo Roces, Dalena "had a rare quality not usually found in local artists: a spirit of play, a sense of humor, a delight and excitement in what others may dismiss as inelegant materials." This is a public toilet with five men urinating. Little boys like to compare who can pee t...