Jun Aquino: An Artist with a Mission
By Ed de la Vega, DDS
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 03 Aug 2019
Deo Antonio Llamas once stated: ?Great life one can live if one gives all he can give. We get a living by what we get and we get life by what we give.?
Following such tenet, an outstanding Filipino artist Jun Aquino, recently known for his paintings depicting the struggles in the boxing ring of Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao travelled from Manila to the USA bringing with him extraordinary art work of other boxing greats to have them autographed by each boxer.
Aquino made a special piece of art for a boxer named Gerald ?The G-Man? MaClellan. The G-Man sports a record of 31 wins, 3 losses. 29 of his wins came via knockout. He was an undisputed champion middleweight champion. He won both the WBO and the WBC belts, was listed #27 by the famed Ring Magazine?s list of ?100 Greatest Punchers of All Time.
It was July 4, 2109 and the US was celebrating America?s birthday. Back in Manila, Aquino was trying to figure out which US boxer he could portray in an artwork with the great US flag in the background to post on Facebook for that important US holiday. Aquino accidentally run into an article about a fallen fighter who appeared to have been forgotten by the boxing community. The tragic story and the photos of the fallen boxer named The G-Man got Aquino?s attention. Then and there, he decided to do something to show is support as an artist and a big boxing fan.
L-R: Heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz, John Singson, Mike Tyson and Jun Aquino.
With that, he found ways to contact Lisa, a sister of the boxer to get her permission to paint The G-Man just to show that the boxing community did not totally forget his brother. When she finally saw the finished artwork, she became so emotional and with the permission of Aquino, she gave a title to the artwork- ?The Rise and Fall Of A Champion?.
?My brother and I almost have the same birthday. He was born October 23, 1967 and I was born on the 25th. It is sad he will never see this great artwork for he is now totally blind,? Lisa said.
In 1995, The G-Man suffered a tragic defeat to Nigel Benn. The end result was a brain surgery to remove a blood clot from his brain and that left him blind, nearly deaf and had difficulty in walking. He requires a 24-hour care.
Paul Banke and Jun Aquino.
On August 1st, Aquino?s friend and partner, realtor John Singson helped him bring his artwork to the USA. This allowed Aquino to bring to more artwork, one of Mike Tyson and the other of the first Mexican Heavyweight champion, Andy Ruiz. Both fighters signed the artwork for Aquino.
Aquino incidentally was invited by Ring 10 of New York to grace a special art show at the Marina del Rey at Throgs, New York. He will put up his art for auction, including those of Tommy ?Hitman? Hearns and Roy Jones. The art work will be auctioned and the proceeds go to Maclellan and to retired fighters to help them get ?Back on their Feet?.
Yesterday, August 2nd, Aquino met with former WBC super bantamweight champion and 2017 West Coast Hall of Famer, Paul Banke to sign his art work. The art work will then be brought to Manila so Senator Manny Pacquiao will sign too.
Aquino is unique in the sense that there is no other artist who spends hundreds of hours painting images of fighters and spending his own funds to complete them and then donates them to Hall of Fame fighters or their family.
Aquino immortalized fighters through his art as a way of giving respect in memory of great legends like Muhammad Ali and the great Manny Pacquiao who inspired him to be where he is now - one of Philippines? best artist!
?I do not wish to be known as painters of great boxing champions,? he said. ?I just wanted to be known as 'boxer's best friend' because I am just a big fan of boxing," he added.
Aquino holds the distinction of the only Filipino artist inducted in the West Coast Hall of Fame, a group created by Dan Hanley and Rick Ferris. He is also the first Asian given this award in the USA.
?I am a proud Filipino," he said. ?Nothing more and nothing less.?
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ed de la Vega, DDS.
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