Have you ever wondered how Jose Rizal may have looked from the eyes of a fellow artist and classmate? Numerous online apps and software today seem to easily recreate the faces of famous heroes and icons, including Rizal. We have also seen various contemporary Rizal paintings in museums rendered by artists like Rody Herrera and Romeo Enriquez. But the so-called “finest and truest likeness” of Rizal is within an unsung portrait of the hero painted by Telesforo Sucgang in 1891. Rizal was still alive when the portrait was made by this Aklanon painter. 

One of the activities in line with the 127th Anniversary of the Martyrdom of Jose Rizal, is an art lecture and workshop celebrating Rizal in “The Life and Works of Telesforo Sucgang (5 January 1855 – 16 December 1916).” The event will be held on 29 December 2023, 1PM at the Silid-Kabayanihan gallery.  

Artist Jirah Millano of Tinta sa Abaka will also be directing a portraiture workshop entitled “Rizal in Sucgang’s Eyes” through which participants can recreate Sucgang’s portrait using ink on locally made abaca paper. 

Guest speakers for the commemorative lecture are Harry Cortel Sucgang and Raymond Jacinto Sucgang, both from the province of Aklan. The former is a lawyer and advocate for social justice for the poor and underprivileged while the latter is Supervising Science Research Specialist at the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute and has attained recognition for his scientific contributions on both the local and international stage. They are both advocates of celebrating renowned Aklanon artist, Telesforo Alayon Sucgang. 

Another resource speaker is Mr. Frederick Epistola, a Philippine-based visual artist celebrated for his experimental and diverse artwork, exploring various human experiences, cultural backgrounds, and identities. His lecture entitled “Beyond the Brush: Understanding Telesforo Sucgang’s Artistic Interpretation of Jose Rizal” shall shed light to the technical-visual aspect of one of Jose Rizal’s rarest portrait in history.  

With the theme “Rizal: Pundasyon ng Kahapon, Isinasabuhay Ngayon,” our national hero’s martyrdom serves as an opportunity for the Filipino nation to reflect on the values that his heroism exemplified for our people and how these may serve as a foundation for our future.