5 Filipino Creatives You Need To Know About Today
A world-renowned photojournalist, a talented Broadway performer, a visionary artist, a fashion designer that uplifts local communities and the principal conductor of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra. What do they all have in common? They’re all Gen.T honourees in the Philippines who are leading the way in the creative industries.
Here are five creatives you need to know in the Philippines.
Hannah Reyes Morales
Photographer
Best Known As an award-winning photographer whose work documents tenderness amid adversity and how resilience is embodied in daily life. Hannah Reyes Morales has reported on forced marriages in Cambodia, documented women’s experiences with assault in the ongoing conflict in South Sudan, the toll of Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs and the "long-term effects of the colonisation of women’s bodies in the Philippines."
Need To Know Morales is a National Geographic explorer; she was also named a cultural leader by the World Economic Forum.
Quote “I think good photographs can elicit empathy, which I believe is one of the roots of change. Images can put a face to the statistics that we hear. It brings us closer to those at the intersections of inequity, of injustice, of poverty, of abuse. Images also have a power to shape the narratives around social justice issues,” she told Gen.T.
Did You Know? Morales’ work can be found in National Geographic, The New York Times and The Washington Post and she was selected to be part of the prestigious World Press Photo's Joop Swart Masterclass.
See also: 5 Award-Winning Photographers Discuss The Power Of Visual Journalism Amid These Times
Rachelle Ann Go
Best Known For The singer and actress was part of the 30th anniversary of Les Miserables, winning Best Performance for a Song at the West End Frame Awards 2016. She also played Gigi in Miss Saigon for the West End revival and Broadway Revival Production. Most recently, Rachelle Ann Go played the role of Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton in the West End Production of Hamilton.
Need To Know Go started out her career starring in noon-time Philippine TV shows as a child.
Quote "Surround yourself with people who will encourage you, support you, and who tell you honestly, like if you're doing the right thing or if you're not doing the right thing. I think that's the most important thing,” Go told Rappler.
Did You Know? Go admits that growing up she wanted to be a famous singer growing up, “it was all about the fame.” But after trying out theater performance, she found her true purpose. “It made me realize why I do what I do; that singing isn’t just about being technically perfect, but being able to tell a story,” Go said.
Olivier Ochanine
Music Director and Principal Conductor
Best Known For His work as the music director and principal conductor of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra.
Need To Know In 2015, Olivier Ochanine won a string of prizes, including the first prize at the Antal Dorati Conducting Competition in Budapest, The American Prize in Professional Orchestra Conducting Division, and second in the London Classical Soloists International Conducting Competition.
Quote “With bad conductors, the problem might not be the stick technique or personality but that they do not trust the orchestra enough to let them play,” Ochanine told Hanoi Grapevine.
Did You Know? He has conducted masterclasses for the Cultural Center of Philippines.
See also: Tatler Playlist: 9 International Music Stars To Watch Out For
Enzo Santos Razon
Best Known For his exhibitions as well as his work as the co-founder of production company Tarzeer Pictures, which hosts pop-up art galleries and educational talks that celebrate Filipino photography.
Need To Know Enzo Santos Razon has recently staged exhibitions at several major galleries, including solo show Fur on Fire and the Children of The Corn—a collection of black-and-white ink drawings and abstract paintings.
Quote Razon told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that his ultimate dream is to create a film, but “this particular project [Fur on Fire and the Children of The Corn], and where I am in life, is the most effective and efficient way to communicate at the moment.”
Did You Know? Razon graduated from the prestigious arts-oriented Emerson College in Boston, where he studied filmmaking.
Paloma Urquijo
Founder and Creative Director of Piopio
Best Known For her company Piopio which has expanded from fashion to become a holistic lifestyle brand.
Need To Know Paloma Urquijo is passionate about maintaining people’s interest in Filipino heritage and craftsmanship, and uplifting local communities. Alongside her mother, she created artistic and cultural village Kalye Artisano to showcase multiple facets of the country’s culture in one location, and is working on a co-living space, Bahay Artisano.
Quote When it comes to designing I “We take our culture seriously, but we never take ourselves too seriously,” she told Gen.T.
Did You Know? Urquijo drew inspiration from her own name for the name of her brand. Paloma means "dove" in Spanish and "piopio" is the Spanish onomatopoeia for the sound a bird makes.