City lights disintegrate | JT Trinidad

Open Edition with a Fotomoto Certificate of Authenticity.

8 x 10in Pigment Print on Hahnemuehle Photo Rag.

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Growing up in the capital, I have witnessed its rapid urbanization. A journey that’s so fast—almost a malignant one. I gained consciousness in one of the “underdeveloped” places in Manila—Pandacan. We were surrounded by the Pasig River and we used to have a lot of open spaces and trees. You wouldn’t think that you are living in the city. In this place, I got to meet different people. They are the ones who helped me to begin my process of understanding myself—especially my queerness.

In this visual form, I created my version of the truth. Far from what my eyes are telling me, but a perspective that is loyal to what the places tell me. It is the truth that emerges from the land. The stories of mining, aggression, and imperialism. The revelation of endless layers that never erase each other—showing detail from each layer no matter how small it is. From the grass to the roots, to the soil, and to every object that is buried there—both known and unknown. Palimpsest.