Painter Jun Aquino with his works featuring Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez during the World Press Tour in Manila. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—It was nearing noon.
Media people were steadily filling out the Rigodon Hall of the Manila Hotel on Saturday, anxiously waiting for boxers Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez to arrive. The two were scheduled to formally start their four-city press tour in Pacquiao’s turf.
At the back of the hall, there were two paintings on display.
One of them was showing Pacquiao and Marquez, their faces lined with determination while in the middle of an epic slugfest.
The other painting was showing a victorious Pacquiao with his head up, seemingly enjoying a momentous victory.
Standing beside the paintings was the artist.
His name is Jun Aquino, the “official painter” of Manny Pacquiao.
Of art and boxing legends
“Basically when I was 6 years old, I was already painting,” said Aquino, a former artist of the Philippine Free Press, the oldest newsweekly of the country.
He remembers seeing a poster of Muhammad Ali and “Smoking” Joe Frazier in their house when he was a kid. It was during “Thrilla in Manila” back in 1975.
I watched in TV ‘Thrilla in Manila’ before, my grandfather stick its poster with Muhammad Ali and Frazier on our wall,)” said Aquino.
It was the sight of those two boxing legends that encouraged him to schetch the two warriors and later to take up the arts.
He found the competitive spirit of Ali and Frazier too compelling that he decided to portray them on canvas using available water color and some loose crayons.
“That’s where I learned how to draw,” said Aquino.
Several years later, he took interest in painting a Filipino boxer who was beginning to get the attention of US fight fans.
“When Pacquiao rose to fame, when the time he foughtthe Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera, I was really inspired to make series of boxing art said Aquino.
Misfortune leads to opportunity
He, however, couldn’t find much time to paint the country’s beloved boxer. That was until he lost his job, when the company that employed him for 25 years was forced to shut down.
I’m jobless and a freelancer now… To think of another job that is nice is hopeless,” he narrated. I thought, I should continue my boxing art series while I still have free time.
He then made several Pacquiao artworks.
One of the copies of his paintings soon found its way to a Manny Pacquiao Top Rank Facebook page.
So, one day I opened my Yahoo! mail, there’s 3000 likes and 500 comments. There were also offers to buy the paintings from $3000 to $5000,)” said a beaming Aquino.
A friend later introduced him to Pacquiao’s adviser, Wakee Salud, who in turn, brought him to Jingkee Pacquiao and Manny in Pan Pacific hotel in Manila.
The boxer liked his paintings and even signed one of them.
“There’s one he really liked, he gave it to Jinkee as a gift,” said Aquino.
Painting for charity
Aquino plans to set up an art exhibit in Las Vegas with the help of Pacquiao’s people.
He said proceeds of the exhibit will go to charity.
So now I’m starting to gather materials. I will stay in Las Vegas for one month,)” said Aquino.
Part of his plans is to cover Pacquiao’s training at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles. He plans to take pictures of the boxing champ which will serve as his reference for his artworks.
Aquino said he is grateful for the opportunity to immortalize the Filipino boxing hero on canvas.
He said meeting Pacquiao brought him good fortune.
It’s probably blessings from the Lord,” he said.