To view the Philippines and the world through Gab Mejia&rsquo;s lens to understand that diversity is not a boundary but an open invitation to deeper exploration.

&ldquo;Places remember us long after we are gone and hold us before we even come.&rdquo; 
&mdash; Gab Mejia
<h6>The Poetry of Place</h6>
Through Gab Mejia&rsquo;s lens, viewers embark on a journey that surveys both the vastness of nature and the minutiae of human existence. His photography draws you in with sweeping landscapes such as meandering rivers stretching toward the horizon; he captures the immense scale of the world with remarkable detail.
Brimming with insatiable curiosity about the marvels of the natural world, his photography becomes a bridge between humanity and nature, revealing the beauty and fragility of the planet. As you get closer to his work, the perspective deepens, unveiling otherwise inconceivable truths.
The inquisitive look of An Aeta child, the steadfast gaze of a Manobo tribal elder, a wildlife ranger bidding their last farewell to the critically endangered tamaraw &mdash; these instances invite a deep dive into the often overlooked narratives that form the backbone of the Filipino identity and the environment that sustains it. Conserving ecosystems is a reminder that nature is not merely an object to be protected but a living entity intertwined with our existence.
Through photography, Mejia underscores this symbiosis, capturing how every part of the natural world &mdash; from the soil to the highest peaks, even a single falling leaf &mdash; nourishes the whole.

<h6>Roots of Belonging</h6>
When Mejia went on his first major hike with his father and brothers in Gunung Kinabalu &mdash; a mountain towering at about 4,095 meters above sea level &mdash; he discovered his passion for conservation. He recalls, &ldquo;It was pouring throughout the hike, drenched with muddy shoes, and it was the first time that I [could] truly experience the wonder, grandness, and vastness of our only planet, the only place I can call home.&rdquo;
He reflects, &ldquo;It made me see how deep time truly is, the scale of it all, how many geological millions of years it took to form this sort of sacredness that kept in touch with me as I grew older.&rdquo; In recounting this experience, he emphasizes that although he didn&rsquo;t reach the summit of the mountain,&ldquo; [that] failure led to a passion, and [that] passion led to a purpose.&rdquo;
This journey of self-discovery is further illuminated by a deeply personal journal entry Mejia shares during our conversation, revealing the emotional core of his experiences:

How insufferable of us to think that the places we inhabit hold no soul. oceans have memory in its currents, forests have its songs and silences, shifting winds return in their time. places remember us long after we are gone and hold us before we even come.
how insufferable, how insufferable of us to think we know all of its perturbing mysteries. the soul of places knows. it listens, it yearns. wondering that maybe it&rsquo;s not just our bodies that want to reconnect to our souls, but the soul of places yearning to connect back to us.&rdquo;

This entry reminds him of his purpose in the images he captures and their deeper intention. For him, conserving nature or wildlife transcends mere protection &mdash; &ldquo;they are beings and souls, and we have forgotten how we are part of nature, and the way we treat nature is ultimately a reflection of how we treat ourselves.&rdquo; As he speaks, it feels as though he&rsquo;s pulling one into his world; each sentence deepens your understanding of his bond with the natural world.
Often blurring the line between humanity and nature, his photography embodies the mutual dependence between nature and culture in the Philippines. Mejia articulates the complex layers of identity within the Philippines concerning conservation efforts, mentioning, &ldquo;Sadly, the frameworks of nature conservation came from colonial roots that have managed to displace communities and the indigenous people who were originally living and protecting these forests, mountains, and coastlines through the centuries of ecological wisdom, practices, and traditions that have allowed them to have a deeper relationship with nature.&rdquo;

Understanding Mejia&rsquo;s point of view gives us insight into the enduring effects of colonialism and the way communities are resilient in taking back control of their stories.
By embracing the knowledge passed down through generations, as well as the animistic beliefs and practices of our indigenous communities that have resisted such fraught ideologies, we discover ways to live in unity with the environment around us.
In his upcoming photographic series, Where the Flowers Bloom, showcased by the Museum of the Home in London, Mejia seeks to reclaim Filipino flora.
This exhibit aims to deconstruct and reimagine the grounds of botanical preservation by weaving Filipino identity &mdash; myths, patterns, stories, relationships, and rituals &mdash; into a collaborative process.
He shifts the narrative away from Western approaches to studying endemic flowers and plants, bringing Filipino identity, the communities where these flowers thrive, and the importance of a harmonious relationship with the natural world to the forefront.
By reflecting on the emotional and spiritual ties to the land that transcend the colonial gaze, Mejia provides a means to celebrate and reclaim the richness of Filipino identity. He likens our relationship to the land as a living, breathing connection full of depth, stories, and struggles.
<h6>The Stories That Bind Us</h6>
Mejia&rsquo;s work spans diverse environments, from wetlands to icy landscapes, offering profound insights into the deep connection between Filipino identity, culture, and the natural world.
Recalling one of his most memorable experiences, the 26-year-old photographer described a pivotal moment where he drew environmental and cultural parallels.
Last June, he spent over a month in Mexico documenting the impacts of its border wall with the United States. After being interrogated by the immigration border police, he expressed&nbsp;his anger over &ldquo;the extreme divide happening in between this continent that is, in truth, just one land, all because of an arbitrary territorial line perpetuated up by the colonial narrative and western imperial worldview.&rdquo;
&ldquo;This border wall was impacting wildlife such as the black bears, pumas, deers, and the natural flow of beings,&rdquo; he adds. In the periphery of this divide, he encountered local communities and Native Americans, whose ancestors have endured years of mistreatment and bias, much like the indigenous people in the Philippines who devote their lives to conserving their lands and preserving their heritage.
He was intrigued by how Native Americans refer to their mountain ranges as the Madrean Archipelago, or Sky Islands, where vast stretches of desert are seen not just as barren land but as a sea connecting distant peaks. Despite the miles between them, he notes that our relationship with nature &mdash; whether in Mexico or the Philippines &mdash; is deeply intertwined, shaped by our shared colonial histories and ecological wisdom.

Mejia stresses that storytelling should open up realms and narratives based on ecology and thinking within an archipelagic manner, as coined by philosopher Edouard Glissant.
This framework highlights the fluidity of identities within archipelagos, reinforcing that every part of a community contributes to the whole. Mejia aims to shape a more inclusive narrative that respects the depth of experiences within various communities, veering away from dominant colonial stories that portray Filipinos solely as victims of oppression.
With conviction, he states, &ldquo;[I] try my best to use photography to define a new way of seeing ourselves and our country through the rich culture and environmental heritage that we have and hold to lose.&rdquo;
Through his lens, the Filipino community emerges as a vibrant cacophony in all its lively complexity &mdash; dynamic languages, narratives fraught with struggles and resilience, and traditions layered with diverse cultures &mdash; all overlapping to make up our multifaceted identity. From our languages to the sea and wetlands, we are fluid, gender-neutral, and perpetually existing in a liminal space, dwelling within the in-betweens. He explains, &ldquo;We are the nuance &mdash; and maybe this is the narrative and the power of the Filipino identity.&rdquo;
As an archipelago, the Philippines embodies a convergence of diverse influences that continually shape its identity, which is always in flux. Within the broader context of a global archipelago, the continents become larger islands united by a single ocean. He summarizes, &ldquo;We are the particular in the universal, and this is something we can hold on to.&rdquo;

<h6>Interwoven Identities</h6>
Mejia&rsquo;s work vividly depicts the many links that span vast distances, capturing the stories and experiences that bind diverse communities while calling attention to the shared humanity that surpasses physical borders.
By embracing a portrayal of Filipino identity and perspective that is woven into his very being, he reveals the beauty of forming meaningful bonds.
His expressions and visuals serve as a physical, visceral response to the world he inhabits. Rather than simply freezing passing scenes, he encapsulates the emotions and stories born from his surroundings &mdash; establishing a profound interaction between his encounters and the natural backdrop.
He shares, &ldquo;A lot of my inspiration really comes from the intimate conversations I have with the diverse communities, both locally and globally, that I celebrate and grieve this life with, may it be in the wetlands of the Agusan Marsh with the Manobo indigenous people, or in some climate convention in New York.&rdquo; A photographer who sheds light on the wonders, losses, and
consolations of the human condition, Mejia draws inspiration from a kaleidoscope of people, skillfully zooming in and out of the natural world and the diverse stories that shape our collective narrative.
Each island within the Philippines offers a different view of what it means to be Filipino &mdash; distinct yet interlaced, with a boundless sense of identity encompassing heritage values and the ever-evolving connection with the land.

The Soul of Places

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