In 2022, I returned to my hometown of Cebu, Philippines, seven years after immigrating to Toronto, Canada. I spent several weeks reconnecting with childhood friends and forming new friendships, hoping to regain a sense of familiarity with a place I once called home. Being back made me realize how much I had changed since I left. At times, I struggled to find a rhythm in conversation, but photographing felt more natural. Through photography, I found a way to reconnect with old friends, navigate our changing relationships, and reorient myself within a place that no longer felt entirely familiar.
Repose and Renewal is a series of intimate photographs centered on rekindled friendships in Cebu. The photographs emerge from conversations, shared histories, and moments of recognition through which we reckon with who we have become. Despite how time and distance have shaped us differently, I photographed them in place of the words I couldn’t convey.
