A Filipino artist based in Abu Dhabi turned a five-year-old painting into a tribute to national hero Dr. Jose Rizal, unveiling the reworked piece before Philippine Ambassador to the UAE Alfonso Ferdinand A. Ver during the 128th Philippine Independence Day celebration at the Philippine Embassy.
Bryan Jay Glorioso Espiritu, a customization specialist who has built a following in the Emirates for his hand-painted shoe art and portrait work, arrived at the embassy gathering to receive his Featured Artist Certificate, recognizing his participation in the mission’s National Arts Month celebration earlier this year. What organizers and guests did not know was that he had brought a surprise.
“Hindi po nila alam yung tungkol sa art na dadalin ko, wala pong may alam kahit isa sa kanila,” Espiritu shared with TGFM, explaining that no one at the event had been told about the piece — which became one of the highlights of the day.
The artwork carries a layered history. Espiritu began with one of his old paintings from 2021, a portrait of the Joker from the Batman films, an image he described as a reflection of chaos. He covered the canvas with a banig, the traditional Philippine handwoven mat used for sleeping and sitting, which he said symbolizes the unity and roots of the Filipino people. Over that woven surface, he painted a new portrait of Rizal.
“Bale tinakpan ko yung luma kong painting na Joker, na sumasalamin sa chaos ng banig na sumisimbulo sa pagkakaisa at roots nating mga Pilipino, at dun ko po iginuhit at ipininta ang portrait ni Dr. Jose Rizal na sumasalamin sa kalayaan,” he said — describing how the chaos of the old work was covered by the mat, and how he then drew and painted Rizal as a reflection of freedom.
The finished portrait depicts Rizal in a dark formal coat against the natural tones of the woven mat, signed and dated 2026 in the lower corner. Espiritu presented the work to Ambassador Ver, who has repeatedly framed this year’s Independence Day commemorations around the resilience of the Filipino community in the UAE.
For Espiritu, whose advocacy “Art In Every Step” restores and hand-paints donated sneakers for children in the Philippines, the tribute extended a body of work rooted increasingly in heritage and shared Filipino stories — this time layering the nation’s enduring symbols, quite literally, over the past.
