Framed Truths, Veejay Villafranca
Curated by Portia Placino
Exhibition Run
27 March
27 – 30 May 2025
Opening Reception 27 March | 3 pm
Artist Talk 10 April | 2 pm
Panel Discussion | 2 pm
Exhibition Identity by JL Diquit
Photos by Veejay Villafranca
Installation Shots by JL Diquit
Curatorial Statement by Portia Placino
Framed Truths unpacks Veejay Villafranca's process as he traverses photojournalism, documentary photography, and fine arts photography. Truth is implied in photographs–with expressions such as “photos or it didn't happen” becoming part of everyday jargon. In contemporary times, the idea of truth becomes fragile. Photographs are manipulated, journalists are accused of fake news peddling and partisanship, and information comes out in the blink of an eye on social media with little to no verification. Photography in the post-truth era exists in a fragile state, often under attack, and in constant restlessness.
Villafranca’s conscious approach to slowing down his process is purposeful. Though there is virtue in the immediacy of news and knowing the state of things in general, the attempt to extend the life of the issue is effective in continually unpacking difficult conversations. Once an issue is no longer a constant topic in news reports, television, and social media–it loses its presence in everyday conversation, even when the situation remains unresolved. Conflicts and struggles fall through the cracks until they resurface through another problematic encounter which would again be left unresolved.
When Villafranca chooses to remain with his subject for years rather than a day–the coverage feels different. The relentlessness of presence, rather than a viral photograph, becomes constantly alive. Beyond the news and archival photographs–leaning toward artistic documentary projects gives Villafranca’s works a continuing space for conversation. Years of photographing a subject means seeing through the changes and persistent issues–refusing to forget is potent in confronting lived narratives. Changing the materials–from photos viewed through doom-scrolling and flipped through in newspapers and magazines into fabric, metal, paper, lenticular boxes, and framed photographs makes complex issues continually present years after the actual coverage.
The exhibition has three sections highlighting Villafranca’s key projects–Marked: Gangs of Baseco, Signos, and Barrio Sagrado. Villafranca’s exploration of photography beyond his photojournalism practice began with Marked: Gangs of Baseco when he received the Ian Parry grant resulting in an exhibition of his project at Getty Gallery in London. Baseco is one of Metro Manila’s most expansive slums. Villafranca immersed himself on site for years, with participants in the project fully aware of who he was and his intentions with the project. Violence, raids, weapons, and drug sessions were unveiled in the photographs, as well as a local embrace of tattooing and hip-hop culture. The images were uncomfortable, the realities known but veiled from the view of the relatively comfortable. Crossing into the fine arts world–the discomfort is palpable, yet it continually makes the discomfort known and felt, rather than buried until it makes the news again.
Signos is a monumental project that documented the typhoons and their aftermath. Disaster coverage is part of the job, as a photojournalist, correspondent, and documentary photographer. It unveiled the realities of a disaster and the significant effects of climate change particularly on vulnerable communities. Yet, after relief operations, discourse often fades away until the next disaster. Signos unpacks the aftermath–what happens in the weeks, months, and years that follow a natural disaster. People look into the immediate–food, clothes, and shelter–but when homes, sources of income, and communities are destroyed, human rights and dignity become even more fragile. Child trafficking, gender-based violence, and the precarity of living become inescapable. Signos documents, and with carefully composed images, confront the viewers with painful and unshakeable truths.
In a room within the exhibition is Villafranca’s Barrio Sagrado, where his personal experiences color and permeate his engagement with the divine and the cultural belief in faith healing. His father, while seeking healing for a critical illness, looked into both clinical and faith healing for relief. For many Filipinos, the belief is complex, with the potency of local beliefs on spirits and their ability to create and heal sickness, coupled with the burdens and costs of clinical approaches encouraging people of less means to seek alternatives. Images for Barrio Sagrado at moments feel more violent compared to his other projects–where desperation and sickness create a visceral sensation in the viewer.
The nature of photography is always shifting. Once imagined to replace painting, it became an art form in its own right. Photograph as a document vis-a-vis photograph as art was once considered a marked divide. Yet, aesthetic considerations and creativity are always part of photographic composition and fine art photography could present sociopolitical issues in a different light. The contemporary moment dissolves formerly formed lines, yet the moment is thickened with the ideas of truths and post-truths. Villafranca’s projects are often ongoing, refusing to close and let go of undeniable truths. He forms and reforms, creates and recreates, continually engaging his subjects and viewers in needed conversations and conditions that must be confronted.
Artist Statement by Veejay Villafranca
I vividly recall my father teaching me how to use a Nikon FM camera with a 50mm lens at the EDSA Shrine in 2001. As we navigated through the dense crowd of protesters, he loaded the camera with black-and-white film, which he later developed for me. The purpose of this exercise was never explicitly explained—it was simply a way to document an event. I chose frames that appealed to me, interpreting the unfolding scene and its significance.
A year later, I joined the Philippines Graphic newsroom as a young rookie, tasked with covering then-candidate Gloria Arroyo’s campaign following the ouster of Joseph Estrada during the second EDSA revolution. While I covered major events, I was also drawn to quieter stories that often went unnoticed. I would stop to take photos, capturing life in stark contrasts, submitting photo-essays to complement news stories. My editors instilled in me the importance of rigorous newsgathering, immersing myself in the subjects’ lives, and challenging the corrupt power structures that shaped the country.
As digital media began to dominate news coverage, only a handful of photographers in the Philippines maintained the tradition of slow, intentional documentation. This approach taught me not only to observe stories with precision but also to critically examine how stories are framed and represented.
Cultural theorist Stuart Hall argues that images, including photographs, are not neutral or objective but are imbued with cultural and social meanings. Photographs, he asserts, do not merely reflect reality—they shape it, framing our understanding of the world. Hall’s theory of representation emphasizes how photographs are mediated by language, context, and power dynamics, contributing to broader societal narratives. While I continued to pursue news photography, a deeper calling emerged to explore topics that resonated personally with me.
As documentarians often say, a photographer’s “pièce de résistance” will propel their work and practice forward. For some, this comes from a revolt against an oppressive regime; for others, it emerges from a commitment to social justice, advocating for marginalized communities and underrepresented regions. For me, photography became a catalyst for social action.
However, I often felt I was lacking depth—perhaps even a personal revolt of my own. While news correspondence granted me access and insight into the world around me, it also limited the time and opportunity to delve deeper into subjects. In 2006, while walking through Baseco Compound in Tondo, Manila, I deviated from my usual route, seeking scenes to photograph.
A chance encounter with a group of children led to a three-year immersion in the lives of former gang members trying to escape the vicious cycle of poverty and crime. This experience shed light on how physical insignias—like tattoos—became barriers to finding a better life outside their community.
“How many casualties?” This was a common metric used by international media outlets to determine whether a story was worth covering or whether it would be left to local correspondents. While factual data reveals the enormity and urgency of a disaster, this approach often felt transactional and selective, leaving out certain voices. The media’s blanket portrayal of the Filipino spirit—resilience—became a simplistic narrative, framing those living in danger zones as inherently “messianic” figures activated in times of trouble and devastation. Re-imagining these perspectives became the focus of my multi-year documentation on the lives of those displaced by extreme weather conditions. Through local narratives, Signos explored the experiences of survivors when the world’s attention shifted away from their struggles after typhoons and other disasters.
As witnesses, photographers often face uncertainty and danger to document. Photography is often described as an act of service—an action to inform others. I’ve always wondered how to reframe pain and suffering to open a broader discussion on healing. This curiosity led to my ongoing visual documentation of how Filipinos confront various forms of pain—pain from our colonial past, pain from modernity and consumption, and pain from trauma and abuse. Barrio Sagrado visually explores unconventional methods of healing, shedding light on how some Filipinos seek relief from torment. This project also became personal, as it mirrored my search for ways to help my late father in his battle with cancer.
As we are faced with another challenge in visual representation and reporting, we re-evaluate and reflect on our process. To frame an image is to consider layers of information and record onto an image. Photographs are crucial tools in constructing and negotiating both personal and collective identities. They have the power to affirm or challenge societal norms and power dynamics, influencing how people see themselves and others.
