A Filipino artist reaped an honor for the Philippines after winning an award at the recently concluded prestigious international art event in Florence, Italy.

Maximino Balatbat, also known as Maxbal, received the Lorenzo Il Magnifico silver award for his painting entry called "Avenida Manila" at the 7th Florence Biennale held from December 5 to 13 at the historical Fortezza da Basso.

The Caloocan-born Balatbat was among at least 800 artists from about 80 countries around the world who participated in the event.

His wife, Ada Beverly, said Maxbal is set to arrive home on Friday.

The Florence Biennale is held every two years. This year’s event showcased more than 2,500 artworks and held conferences and lectures for artists and visitors.

The event also gave the artists the opportunity to share their experiences, techniques and foster solidarity among peers.