MANILA: Butterflies, Princesses, Heroes and Santos by Raphael Blum

The photographic project initiated in Manila in 2005, within the framework of multiple encounters and exchanges with its residents, brings together a selection of chosen portraits of those who make up the urban landscape on both sides of the Pasig River: the residential neighborhoods of Malate and Ermita, bordered by the Baywalk promenade to the south, and San Nicolas and Tondo, the former fishing village, to the north. The butterflies, princesses, heroes, and Santos specifically highlight those who belong to the darker part of the city or the other world, granting them the attention and dignity they deserve.

Raphaël Blum—Born in 1966 in France, he studied art at the University of Paris-Sorbonne and pursued language and Oriental civilization studies at INALCO, Paris. Since the 2000s, he has developed a photographic project exploring urban landscapes in South America, Southeast Asia, and Paris, focusing on imagery and human relationships through ongoing series of urban scenes and portraits of passersby. From 2005 to 2013, he traveled to and regularly stayed in the Philippines—particularly in Manila—which became an open workshop where he multiplied photographic encounters. His work on the Philippines has been exhibited at the National Museum of Ethnology (Museum Volkenkunde) in Leiden, Netherlands (Manila Catch Me If You Can), the National Gallery of Indonesia in Jakarta (Tondo Stars, 4th OK. Video Comedy Festival), the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) in Manila, and the BenCab Museum in Baguio (Cordillera), among others.

Hardcover
19 x 30 cm (portrait)
276 pages
Full color
French & English
9786026990822
Afterhours Books