In celebration of the Independence Day of the Republic of the Philippines June 12, British photographer Peter Oxley is presenting an exhibit entitled "Just a Moment" June 12-16 at the City Club of Tokyo. The title is inspired by Henri Cartier-Bresson's advice that the key to taking a truthful photograph is to capture "the decisive moment."
Oxley draws inspiration from the Philippines' own culture. The exhibit offers images of historic and present-day Manila, revealing the strength as well as the sensitivity and vulnerability of its people.
"The Philippines are a very fascinating and colorful place," says Oxley, a longtime Tokyo resident. "There's never a dull moment, and Filipinos express themselves so freely and spontaneously. That's what I love most about the Philippines."
The photos Oxley is exhibiting at the City Club are black-and-white, all hand-printed on fiber paper and toned in selenium or sepia, with images such as a teenage girl looking intently at the camera, her eyes full of the defiance of youth; the building where Dr. Jose Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines, was imprisoned on the eve of his execution, captured in the light of dusk; a little girl reaching out as if from inside a bell jar; a ghostly moon over the weathered gate of Manila's old walled city; a street urchin, his face full of joy and hope, seated on one of the antique Chinese lions guarding the Philippines' oldest church, San Agustin.
The show is supported by the Philippine Embassy, the City Club of Tokyo, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan and Kumusta Magazine. Philippine Ambassador Romeo Arguelles will preside at the opening ceremony June 12. For more information, contact Laura C. de Leon at the Philippine Embassy, (03) 5562-1587, or the artist at (03) 3299-2612.