Exhibitions

There is a certain fevered intensity in the works of Juanito Torres, an electrifying dynamism that breathes life into the tableau of Philippine history. His latest exhibition, a masterful orchestration of memory and myth, is a spectacle of color and movement, a grand parade of figures drawn from the annals of our nation’s past. Through his distinct lens, the past is not static but a living, breathing force, eternally intertwined with the cultural and artistic fabric of our present.

Torres’ paintings operate on multiple registers: historical documentation, political commentary, and poetic evocation. His canvases are saturated with allegorical imagery, where revolutionaries stride across swirling landscapes and colonial rulers loom with ominous grandeur. The heroes of the Philippine Revolution—Bonifacio, Aguinaldo, and Rizal, among others––stand resplendent in their defiance, their presence commanding the viewer’s gaze. But beyond their familiar visages, there are also the unnamed, the faceless masses whose labor and sacrifice forged the destiny of a nation.

But Torres does not limit himself to the historical. He extends his brush to the contemporary, weaving into his compositions the lingering ghosts of the past that still shape our present realities. The artist’s technique is as compelling as his vision. His bold, fluid strokes capture the visceral energy of his subjects, while his palette conveys his themes' grandeur and gravity. His compositions, often chaotic yet meticulously arranged, pulse with a rhythm that echoes the turbulence of the eras he portrays. The result is a visual symphony that is at once exhilarating and unsettling, demanding engagement from the viewer.

History’s iron grip tightens further in Governor General Emilio Terrero y Perinat, where colonial power and the winds of change clash on canvas. Terrero, the Spanish governor-general who walked the uneasy line between oppressive rule and progressive ideals, is immortalized in Torres’ signature style—grand, allegorical, and layered with historical tension. One can almost hear the whispers of reformists and revolutionaries encircling the figure, pressing against the rigid formalities of empire. It is a painting that does not simply depict history but demands that we reckon with its consequences.

This idea of passing torches culminates in A Gathering of Heroes, a staggering convergence of figures from different epochs, assembled like spectral revolutionaries in congress. Torres does not depict them as relics of the past but as active participants in our present moment. Their gazes pierce through time, demanding that we, too, take up the mantle of remembrance and resistance. The exhibit’s emotional crescendo arrives with She Loves Me… She Loves Me Not, a poignant reflection on longing—perhaps for love, or perhaps for a nation perpetually torn between devotion and disillusionment. In Torres’ world, history is not static. It loves, it falters, it dreams, it mourns.

Torres’ exhibition is more than an artistic endeavor; it is an act of remembrance, a gesture of reclamation. In a time when history is often rewritten or conveniently forgotten, his work serves as both a mirror and a map—reflecting where we have been and guiding us toward where we might go. It is a call to see, to remember, and, ultimately, to act. In his canvases, the past is never truly past—it is alive, vibrant, waiting to be reckoned with.