Still Life

Hamstrung by the lockdown, some of the country’s most sought-after photographers find creativity even in the mundane details of everyday life

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XYZA BACANI

When the pandemic started, I felt anxious just like everyone else. I was worried about my family and my professional life when cancellation emails, as well as postponed exhibitions and travels, began filling my inbox. When the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) was announced, I made a calculated decision to go out and report stories in our rural town in Bambang and around Manila. It meant keeping a distance from my family, educating my little nieces that hugs are not allowed and living with the paranoia of bringing the virus home. I spent most of my creative life abroad and the ECQ gave me the chance to learn more about the Philippines. Just watching the quiet sunset, speaking with different people, listening to their tales and being a conduit for their stories to be seen and heard was, for me, a great privilege.

ARTU NEPOMUCENO