A visual artist from the Province of Bohol is set to receive in Milan, Italy the Leonardo da Vinci International Art Prize - a recognition for contemporary artists worth their artistic merit.
Elvin Perocho Vitor, a seasoned painter and multimedia artist, is recognized for his 53x89-inch hyper-surreal work depicting Boholano fellow artist and environmentalist Pedro Angco.
He considers Angco an icon because of his wisdom that comes with age and experience, and of being a champion for environmental conservation and sustainability through upcycling efforts or breathing a second life to supposed trash.
In an interview, he conveyed that his works are an exaltation of the Boholano heritage, arts, culture, traditional wisdom, antiquity and ancestry, and everything about Bohol including its pre-colonial systems of writing - Kudlit and Eskaya.
Kudlit or Kudlit Kabadlit is an ancient Visayan script, while Eskaya is said to be unique to a group of people in Bohol, particularly in the upland of Duero and Guindulman towns, Elvin said.
Elvin underscored that even the titles to his works are written in the native tongue because he has observed among foreign artists their confidence in taking with them their mother tongue wherever they launch art shows in the world.
The eagerness and excitement to fly to Milan for the April 13, 2024 event is evident in his voice as he also has commissioned works in line for art patron-clients in France. He vowed to receive his award personally to savor the moment, a feat in his career; and cherish the momentum that he has to keep while immersed in the endeavor.
Museum curators Salvatore and Francesco Saverio Russo have chosen his best works to make it to the compilation among other international and contemporary artists.
Elvin’s penchant for hyper images started when he looked at things on a myopic level - literally.
Elvin said that he started wearing eyeglasses as his severe myopia progresses. In grade school, he was already wearing eyeglasses with a grade of 200. Today, his contact lenses bear a grade of 1,700 which make everything blurry sans the spectacles. He said that the eye disorder has, in a way, led him to presenting images of blown-up proportions and in bold, solid colors.
As a person who espouses a life in faithfulness, Elvin pointed to Jeremiah 29:11 etched on the backbone of his faith: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Thus, he trusts even more the plans of the Almighty that are enormous and bolder than meets the eyes.
The award will be handed out at the National Museum of Science and Technology - Leonardo da Vinci with the expected presence of art collectors, journalists, politicians, and art lovers.
Sculpted trophy of a bust of Renaissance genius Leonardo da Vinci, artist and inventor, said to be handmade by skilled Tuscan artisan, with a mix of marble dust and resins, and the gilding is also handmade with a base of black marble, would make the recognition tangible.
The customized trophies will further bear the name of the artist.
Elvin shared that it is an honor for his masterpieces to be included in the "Contemporary Celebrity Masters Volume II 2024.” The compendium of best works also features the life of Leonardo da Vinci, an artist who saw himself first as an engineer, an apt model to artists like Elvin whose main goal is to leave behind his footprint in the field of fine arts, a legacy to Bohol and its people.
“Moabot man gyud ang time nga mobiya ra ta aning kalibutana, ang ako lang gyud giampo kanunay sa Ginoo nga kining mga artwork by every Boholano artist, for the people of Bohol, will find a niche in the hearts of those who will come after us,” he expressed.
