Bohol-based artist Elvin Vitor has won the Leonardo Da Vinci International Art Prize for his hyper-realistic portrait “Kulbahinam Nga Laraw.”
Elvin Vitor is yet another Filipino artist who is bringing pride to the country. The painter recently won the prestigious Leonardo Da Vinci International Art Prize (Premio Internazionale Leonardo da Vinci in its original Italian), reports Rappler. Based in Bohol, Vitor specializes in hyperrealistic works—whose intricate details are due in part to his severe myopia or nearsightedness. His works often portray pieces of Philippine culture, though more specifically his native Bohol.
Vitor’s works also have surreal aspects to them, with visual motifs that capture valuable aspects of Bohol’s culture. The winning work is “Kulbahinam Nga Laraw,” an 82 x 52-inch oil painting of fellow Bohol-based artist and environmentalist Pedro Angco Jr., who creates ornate and colorful works of art out of ocean waste like slippers and plastic wrappers.
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Rising Talent
Vitor majored in the Fine Arts, earning an Advertising degree from the University of Bohol. He worked as a layout artist for the Bohol Chronicle and Bohol Tribune. However, he eventually decided to pursue a full-time career in painting, mainly due to his worsening eye condition, according to his profile in Alphabet of Filipino Contemporary Artists: Volume 2.
Since then, he’s been an active member of the Bohol art scene. His art has been featured in both local and international publications. He was also a finalist in the MetroBank National Competition, and had a solo exhibition in the Provincial Capitol in 2023.
The Leonardo Da Vinci International Art Prize
According to various media outlets, Vitor will be receiving the Leonardo Da Vinci International Art Prize in April 2024 in Milan, Italy. The prize began in 1975, under the leadership of former Rotary Club Firenze PHf president, Pier Francesco Scarselli, according to the club’s official website.
As its name suggests, the annual event awards young scholars or artists who are 35 years old or below. The prize recognizes talents who have “given consistent evidence of success in every discipline” [as translated from the original Italian of its website]. Several more Rotary Clubs have joined in hosting the awards over the years. These include those in Madrid, Brussels, Amsterdam, Dublin, and London.
Banner photo from Elvin Vitor’s Facebook.
