The Last Tattooed Women of Kalinga -- In the Philippines
In Verzosa's portrait series, his consideration of soft lighting as well as composition presents the viewer with a concentrated moment with subjects. Each subject is evenly lit, no dramatic spot lights or shadows. We can see their tattoos clearly as well as their faces. Verzosa could have zoomed in on only the tattoo's, but he instead composes them in traditional portraiture to represent the women as well. His simple display of these women apart from their environment allow their skin to tell a story without any context of where they come from.
Verzosa is presenting viewers with a rare glimpse of women who following a dying indigenous tradition. There is a sense of pride and belonging in the women displayed, but there is also melancholy. Showing old women emphasizes the timeline and context of these traditions. It also displays the development in culture and taboo. Women in the Philippines today rarely have tattoos and it has gone on to become disapproved. Versoza is making these portraits to inform people about the tradition of this tribe, taboo, as well as a call to possible save the dying, hidden tradition.
I was very personally impacted by these photos and how they were captured. I was born in America but my family is from the Philippines. In these photos, the women reminded me of my Lola (grandmother). It made me think about all the times she disapproved of my own tattoos and how it was "very American" of me. It made me consider the deep roots of my Filipino culture and its relationship with tattoos and body modification and how colonization has changed it. The display of their tattoos and bodies still evoked a sense of pride in me as well though. I read their faces carefully and their skin and could see how the photos are celebratory but also mournful. I felt that Verzosa's considerations in making pictures of these women made their story and tradition more meaningful and personal rather than documentary.
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