Originally from Kentucky, Jacob Wachal is a Filipino-American lens-based artist currently based in Savannah, Georgia. With a BFA in studio art from the University of Kentucky, Wachal is currently pursuing an MFA in photography from Savannah College of Art and Design. His practice, including the body of work, “Handumanan sa Pamilya,” is concerned with the decolonization of photographic narrative through the exploration of themes such as family, memory, and identity. Of the work, Wachal explains:

“These photographs were created in collaboration with my mother, her five siblings, and my grandparents, and serve as a visual interpolation of the memories they hold of their upbringing in Cebu, Philippines. The images seek to preserve our culture and traditions as a family unit and members of the Filipino diaspora, while also challenging the othering representation present within the existing American colonial photographic archive.”

Jacob Wachal is one of 70+ photographers featured in our new photobook, CIRCLES. Check it out in our shop, and see more of his work below!