Jaime Ponce de Leon goes back to his roots
As Jaime Ponce de Leon was turning 45 years old, he knew that he wanted it to be special. Starting as an interior designer, Jaime turned to art and in less than a decade, made Leon Gallery the premier auction house in the country, as he gained the trust of old, established families seeking to sell their inherited paintings by the masters to young, talented contemporary artists who needed a venue to display their canvases.
To top it off, Jaime acquired the magnificent 1886 Juan Luna masterpiece “Hymen, oh Hyménée,” which was considered lost since it was last seen over a hundred years ago — a quest that took decades to locate, purchase and finally be exhibited in time for our 125th year of Philippine Independence.
He explained, “I felt I had to celebrate my 45th birthday with family and friends to mark such a milestone in my life. After the recent unveiling of ‘Hymen, oh Hyménée’ by Juan Luna at the Ayala Museum, I wanted to express my profound thanks, especially to the ones who have been with me along the way — art friends such as Paulino and Hetty Que, Stanley and Abbie Chan, Louie and Liza Bate, Chip Siy Yap and Aileen Anastacio, Tina Fernandez, Gabby and Jia Estrella, Trickie Lopa, Toto Salgado, Ed Cua, Lori Juvida, Bambina Olivares, among others.”
As a loyal Negrense, Jaime went back to his roots and invited over 220 guests to celebrate in his newly acquired Henry Hotel in Dumaguete, backed by the coastal waters amid lush and verdant tropical plants.
The two-day bash started with a welcome lunch for the 60 guests who arrived from Manila, including his Harvard classmates Indra and Caroline Gunawan from Indonesia. After a brief siesta, the evening festivities commenced in the newly built Bamboo lodge that will serve as the city’s top event place.
The happy affair ended way past midnight, with León Gallery friends and collaborators Lisa Guerrero-Nakpil, Toto Gonzalez, Tats Manahan, Nicole Whisenhunt, Gerry Torres, Derek Flores and Melot Sunga in attendance.
As most of us had danced the night away and it was time to call it a night, the ever-gracious Jaime personally bade us goodbye as we exited. “I am thankful that I have been blessed with good health and feel very much fulfilled in everything I am doing,” he said. “I wish to do more in the years to come, God willing, and perhaps find the next treasure along the way.”
