Standing in front of the work of Juanito Torres is like stepping into a world that is peopled with sundry characters acting out a scenario in a never-ending carnival. There is pathos, brittle charm, and wit in the scenes he deftly recreates on huge canvases.

The scenario he paints is more intimate as all the characters in every scene look familiar. "It isn't like the circus is in town and you are watching strangers acting out their roles in the carnival," he says. "The juggler, the clown, the flying woman, the ballet dancer, and the trapeze artist are people that walk the street where I live.

Torres's larger than life canvases resemble a mis en scene in a play. His style is influenced a lot by his exposure as a set designer in his younger days. Prior to embarking on a career as a fulltime painter, this University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts graduate had a stint in an advertising agency and as a set designer for films.