We were sitting at the receiving area of Elvin Vitor’s garage-turned-studio, fresh off the boat from Cebu. The first thing I noticed about him was that although he appears as a youthful man, when he starts to speak, I feel like I am talking to an old soul. He looked me straight in the eye when he replied, not flinching even if difficult questions were thrown his way.
This is his story. Background This true-blue Boholano was born in Tagbilaran City, but spent his early childhood in the mountains of Sierra Bullones, then finally moved to Baclayon in 2011, where he is now based. His father was a teacher and Elvin would observe him as he made visual aids for class.
He was so intrigued by art that his father encouraged him to join contests during his elementary years. In high school, he became an introvert as his family focused more on religion, but he expanded his artistic skills to editorial cartoons and poster making. The decision for him to study drafting instead of fine arts in college was made by his parents and soon enough, he felt that he was unable to express his creativity in this field and had to take the matter of his schooling into his own hands.
First, he found work in a souvenir shop, where he began to come out of his shell, as he had to deal with different people. An aunt working abroad also helped him out so he could enroll himself in Fine Arts, always bearing in mind a message he heard from a speaker during his high school days — that one had to work hard and give your best if you want to achieve your dream. He graduated after seven years, juggling two jobs with schoolwork.
At the start, Elvin was painting on the side while also working as a graphic artist for a local newspaper. But he soon developed eye exhaustion (he suffers from a severe case of myopia but refuses to undergo surgery to correct it) and had to give up his job, thereby shifting focus to painting and their family devotion to promoting their church. His first “big” sale was to a foreigner who purchased his still life in oil for P4,000 and from there he developed the style he is now known for: Hyperrealism.
Controversy A social media page operated from Bohol proudly announced that Elvin Perocho Vitor “had won” the 6th Leonardo Da Vinci International Prize for visual art. The buzz around the painting featured in the catalog was Elvin’s depiction of Pedro Angco — a fellow artist and a passionate environmentalist. This 53 x 89 inch portrait is stunning, both in size and detail.
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