MANILA
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The imagination of an imagemaker
ou immeditherapy for his college deately get a gree. Armed with detersense of MJ mination and an innate Suayan’s suresense of style and design, ty and creative breadth MJ started out as a largethe instant you view his ly self-taught street phoimages. That’s the way tographer. He was later it is when you witness a mentored by some of the maestro in his element. country’s top lensmen In MJ’s latest Vogue Itaand, led by his passion for lia shoot, he uses old creative endeavours, MJ school practical effects made a name in the into achieve painting-like dustry by landing multiple images. When he reveals cover shoots and creative the photos on his camprojects for publications era, viewers could hardsuch as Tatler Philippines, ly believe they weren’t Lifestyle Asia, Mega, Mapost-processed. Only a nila Bulletin Style Weektalented artist-photograend, Metro Weddings, and pher with years of expeGarage Magazine. rience and a passionate While his flair for knowledge of form and fashion granted MJ suctechnique can achieve cess in Manila, his evocsuch a feat effortlessly, ative, emotion-packed within moments. work caught the eye of As an inquisitive child, Vogue Italia’s Deputy Edborn in 1978 to a creative itor, Sara Maino. She has family in Manila, MJ had said, “The first time I saw the good fortune of growMJ’s works, ‘twas emoing up in an atmosphere tional! He is a pure talof encouragement and ent and his artistic vision machinery, where his cugoes beyond any boundriosity was fed daily. Text by Donna Patricia Manio Photos courtesy of MJ Suayan aries.” Maino, credited as “We used to live beside Guest editor Michellan Sarile-Alagao one of the pillars of the a small machine shop, ongoing renaissance of which, to a curious child such as myself back then, was Vogue Italia, launched the trajectory of many artists a perfect makeshift laboratory,” he reminisced. “That through Vogue Talents—a platform for creative minds was my first exposure to paints and chemicals. I can from all over the globe. still remember how chemicals reacted with each other MJ joins this roster of creatives, a model for Filforming into another compound. I was so amazed by ipino creatives on the global scene. Yet his journey, the changes I saw—the textures and colors are still so from the edgy street photography of Manila to the invivid in my mind.” In this creativity-nurturing envi- ternational world of high fashion, began from a place ronment, MJ and his siblings became adept at their of deep personal tragedy, and you can sense a certain chosen artistic disciplines. One of his brothers, Mico melancholy behind the power of some images. “The Suayan, is an internationally-acclaimed cover artist passing of my two beloved daughters, Helaena and for DC and Marvel comics. Fiona, created this vast darkness in me. While a true creative at heart, MJ pursued physical It was so huge that it almost consumed me. It has
Artist MJ Suayan blurs the boundaries between photography and art with his conceptual and evocative body of work.
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Lifestyle
