As a tribute to the heroes of the country, Juanito Torres completed a 67-by-91-inch work of art as the nation celebrated the annual National Heroes’ Day last 28 August. The artwork, titled “La Solidaridad,” depicts a gathering of prominent historical figures in one frame — Dr. Jose Rizal, Marcelo H. del Pilar, Mariano Ponce, Jose Maria Panganiban, Graciano Lopez Jaena, Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo, Juan Luna and Antonio Luna. This is among the pieces in The Magnificent September Auction 2023 of Leon Gallery this 9 September.

Paying tribute to noble soldiers in Philippine history is Torres’ “Generals of the Philippine Revolution.” In this piece, he painted key figures, such as Andres Bonifacio, Antonio Luna, Emilio Jacinto, Emilio Aguinaldo, Macario Sakay, Miguel Malvar and Gregorio del Pilar, among others.

Torres attended the Philippine High School for the Arts in Makiling in Los Baños, Laguna, where he was awarded for Outstanding Visual Arts in 1994. He took further studies at the University of the Philippines’ College of Fine Arts in Diliman, Quezon City. The late art critic Alice Guillermo described him as one of the leading contemporary artists of his time, joining the ranks of Elmer Borlongan, Mark Justiniani and Neil Doloricon, among others. Torres was a finalist at the Metrobank Foundation National Painting Competition in 2005 and was a fellow and designated artist for CANVAS Romeo Forbes Children’s Literature Initiative from 2009 to 2010.

His works are part of the permanent collections of major museums in the country, such as the Museum of the Katipunan in San Juan City, Miguel Malvar Museum in Batangas, Pinto Museum in Antipolo City and Luna Museum in Ilocos Sur, and the National Historical Commission, among others. His portfolio made the seminal artwork exhibit “Icons and Superheroes.” Among his other works is the recently sold monumental work The Grand Ball and the auctioned piece, “Parade of Heroes.” He is represented by Galerie Joaquin. For more information, email [email protected].