Through the Lens: Artu Nepomuceno

Photographing Apo Whang-Od for Vogue Philippines
By Sharrona Valezka

‘Through the Lens’ is a series that explores in detail images from fashion image-makers in Southeast Asia, shining a light on their creative and technical processes.

Artu Nepomuceno is a Filipino image-maker whose practice focuses on portrait, fashion, and commercial photography. After finishing his studies at De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde in 2012, he slowly cemented his place in the Philippines fashion landscape with his advertising and editorial works. Artu is also a photojournalist for Waves for Water, a US-based non-profit organisation. In this role, he often travels to different countries to capture and build a narrative for the organisation’s humanitarian mission.

In this interview, Artu talks about photographing Apo Whang-Od, the eldest traditional Kalinga tattoo artist, for Vogue Philippines’ April 2023 cover story, and how he found renewed pride in his Filipino identity in the process.

Apo Whang-Od for Vogue Philippines April 2023. Image courtesy of Artu Nepomuceno.

To start, we would like to know more about the cover story series you shot for Vogue Philippines’ April 2023 issue, featuring traditional Kalinga tattoo artist Apo Whang-Od. How would you describe the project and how did it initially come about?

The project started just like any other — with an inquiry. Bea Valdes, the editor-in-chief of Vogue Philippines, gave me a call sometime in the first half of 2022 asking me if I would be interested in photographing Apo Whang-Od. Her inquiry felt more like a formality as she knew very well I would not decline such an opportunity. Apo Whang-Od has been quite the icon for decades now, and my visual references have been the beautiful portraits taken by Jake Verzosa and Paco Guerrero. So when the opportunity came up, the pressure was high. I was not sure that I would be able to take a portrait as iconic as those masters, but I knew I had to do my absolute best to pay respect to Apo Whang-Od and to these photographers. Nothing felt perfectly in sync until the cover came out. When the cover story was finally published, there was a sudden realisation that my hustle for the last eleven years felt like a build-up to that one photo session.

Could you share more about the image-making process? Were there any preparations you and the team had to arrange before travelling to Buscalan village for the photo shoot?

There were a lot of delays and postponements to the trip due to bad weather. At the second and third points of changes in the schedule, I was worried that I would no longer have the opportunity, or that the project would be assigned to another photographer if I were unavailable on the new dates. The preparations for the shoot started the moment Bea contacted me with the inquiry. The first action that I took was to prepare my team. I gathered my core team, which consisted of Sela Gonzales, Choi Narciso, and Aaron Carlos. I knew we could have done the job with a more skeletal team, but I wanted to bring my entire crew as they had been working with me for years and this just felt like an experience worth doing together. The consideration was that if I had a tiny window to shoot Apo Whang-Od, I did not want to waste my time setting up with a team that I was not familiar with.

The months that followed were deep dives into the visual references and the philosophies behind them. I pitched a mood board to the Vogue team and we went back and forth until there was perfect alignment. Afterward, I presented the final mood board to my mentor and friend, Sharif Hamza, who aligned me on the foundations, purpose, and intentions for the shoot. Once the mindset was made, my team and I looked into the logistics of shooting, particularly on solutions for the worst possible scenarios.

Are there any specific elements in the images that you would want people to pay attention to, and why?

I do not think I have anything in particular that I want people to see specifically. I believe the wonderful thing that happened during the shoot was that when I was actually shooting, I was doing my very best to channel emotions and feelings brought out of my love for my own family. I thought about my late grandparents and how I would have loved to photograph them more. With that frame of mind came the carefreeness from the technicality of things. We spent months preparing the technical side of things so that we would not have to worry about it when we shoot. What has been amazing to see is the positive reception the cover received from the global audience, and learning the specific things about the images that have spoken to them.

“I was doing my very best to channel emotions and feelings brought out of my love for my own family. I thought about my late grandparents and how I would have loved to photograph them more. With that frame of mind came the carefreeness from the technicality of things.”

How was the collaboration with the Vogue Philippines team? Who else was involved in the photoshoot process?

Just to be clear, this cover would not have come to life if it were not for the vision of the Vogue Philippines team. I am a photographer with big dreams, but a simple lifestyle. If I had taken Apo Whang-Od’s portrait on my own, the world would not have seen it the way Vogue Philippines displayed it. It was through them that Apo Whang-Od received the credit and spotlight she deserves.

Honestly, I am just incredibly honoured to be given the opportunity and to have their trust. Everything that happened upon the release of the cover was a collection of hard work from every single team member involved in the shoot: Audrey Carpio who had written the story, the Chapters team who made the videos, Anz Hizon who produced the shoot and made everything possible, Renee De Guzman who was literally the voice beside my ear, making sure we stayed true to Apo Whang-Od, my core team, and Marga Magalong and Jijo De Guzman.

In an interview with Vogue Philippines, you explained you were more focused on building a comfortable relationship with Apo Whang-Od to make the images as authentic as possible. What do you think is the importance of retaining the authenticity of the photographs and how did it aid in delivering the story you intend to convey?

One of the best things Sharif told me was to always aim for honest photographs. He could not have said it better. I believe that the moment you find a step-by-step process to creating an authentic photograph is the moment you start losing the authenticity of your work as there is no process to it. To generate genuine photos, you must be genuine with your intentions. I have no shortage of poisonous thoughts when I enter the shooting space. These include thoughts like “Will this photo sell?” “Who will like this photo?” “Will I become famous from this photo?”

Over the years, I have learned that these questions are just temptations that if entertained, will get me stuck somewhere. A photograph is never about the photographer, and therefore, the qualities of it should never be about yourself. A photograph is always about the subject matter, and if they feel true to themselves. When I photographed Apo Whang-Od, I did not think about her fame or anything else. I thought about her as family, and how she could be my grandmother at that moment. In order to take honest images, one must be truly honest with themselves too.

“A photograph is never about the photographer, and therefore, the qualities of it should never be about yourself. A photograph is always about the subject matter, and if they feel true to themselves.”

You also remarked that you discovered a renewed pride in your Filipino identity through Apo Whang-Od’s story. Could you elaborate on this?

I feel like my experience with Apo Whang-Od was the cherry on top of my personal journeys. Over the years, I have discovered more and more what it truly means to be Filipino and spending time in Buscalan amplified everything. Being tattooed the traditional way made me see inking differently. Receiving the craftsmanship of Apo Whang-Od and her grandnieces Grace Palicas and Elyang Wigan, who are also her apprentices, felt like a marker to declare my love for my country. The history of the Philippines has provided certain challenges to what is purely Filipino. Apo Whang-Od and the culture she represents are rare gems. If one asked me what specifically makes me proud to be Filipino, I would simply answer that I am ridiculously proud to have grown up in this country. That is it.

What is the significance to you in exploring topics of pre-colonial culture of the Philippines in your works and what kind of impact do you hope it will generate?

The Philippines is composed of 7641 islands with over 120 languages spoken. There are 110 major indigenous groups in the country and depending on the area you are from, you could have the influence of the Spanish, Japanese, Americans, or Chinese. Despite all the simulations of what our country would have been like if we were not colonised, the fact of the matter is that we were. The truth is that we have been greatly influenced for years and those influences have been deeply planted into the DNA of our culture. I cannot speak for any Filipino as my upbringing is completely different from my neighbour, but I believe that is where I hold my value. If I do not photograph or translate my personal culture into my art, then I am disrespecting my craft. Implementing my country’s culture and my own culture is what separates me from AI.

The cover story has received many positive receptions on the global scale since it was published, bringing Filipino culture into the limelight. What do these achievements mean to you as a photographer from the Philippines and/or Southeast Asia? How has it impacted your creative practice?

The world has already been recognising Filipino culture for a long time. We have had sporting champions before Pacquiao, such as Efren Bata Reyes or Paeng Nepomuceno. We have had Lea Salonga and so many more. Apo Whang-Od was already an institution before the cover! What I am glad about is that the conversation continues and that the world is talking about the real meaning of beauty.

There is no doubt that this cover has become the highlight of my career. But I cannot get drunk on its power. On to the next assignment, in hopes that the next jobs continue to be honest and true.

“Apo Whang-Od was already an institution before the cover! What I am glad about is that the conversation continues and that the world is talking about the real meaning of beauty.”

As a photographer, how has your commercial work influenced your projects that are more narrative-driven, and vice versa? Do you distinguish them as separate creative spaces, or actively seek to develop both areas simultaneously?

I used to be strict with the separation between commercial work and story-driven pieces. Now, I realise that they need each other. The most iconic fashion photographs like the works of Peter Lindbergh have been driven by a story, which was the story of the designer, the clothing, the hard work, and the craftsmanship. It is not as simple as a piece of clothing on a living mannequin on a plain background. The way the light textures the clothes, how the model moves, and how the designer feels are all confessions made to the photographer. The same way goes for my story-driven images. At the end of the day, we are all salesmen/women. But it is not a question of “who can I sell these images to” or “what in the photograph am I selling”, but rather the questions are: “Am I willing to buy this image for myself?” “Will I frame and hang this in my home?” And “Do I love the image for myself?”

Finally, what plans do you have in store for your practice moving forward? Do you have any projects that you are working on?

On to the next, and the next one after that.

See more of Artu’s work here or on Instagram at @artunepo.