In 2017, Jan Mayo was one of the many aspirants who took a shot for the local staging of the celebrated Disney musical “Newsies.” Mayo was naturally drawn to the show for it was heavy on dance — the craft that he had long set his heart on.
“Back in college, when I was part of the UP Pep Squad, we were trained extensively in ballet, contemporary dance, jazz, and gymnastics,” says Mayo. “You know, it was my dream to dance internationally.”
Like many Filipino artists wrestling with economic security, Mayo had to shelve this dream and went on to study aviation. Yet despite completing the course in 2014, he realized that being a pilot wasn’t really for him. “It was such a different culture and environment, especially [for someone] coming from the arts.”
He knew that the only way forward was going back: to dance and perform on stage again. Fortunately, after the grueling auditions the “Newsies” team held, Mayo was selected to play Jojo, one of the ensemble cast.
Little did he know that the opportunity would allow him to discover a new artistic eye, and he wasted no time pursuing where that eye could take him. “During rehearsals, I would always bring my camera, and my castmates, coming from theater, would always approach me to take their portraits so they could add them to their set cards or post them on social media. And the rest was history.”
‘ ‘8’: ‘image’: ‘jcr:b7027f90-504b-427b-8cb2-5c8c6c07e247’ ‘imageCaption’: ‘“My approach has always been about making personal connections
A year after that stint in “Newsies,” Mayo went on to become a professional photographer and later decided to do it full time. And although he still sees himself as “a newcomer to the industry,” he has already gained significant experience that would provide his body of work a firm, authentic shape.
“In retrospect, all those decisions and career changes [I made] really contributed to my work,” says Mayo. “The precision and technicalities of flying an aircraft, the nuances of performance art, and the lines and form of the human body. I really think it’s a great mix for photography, which is a discipline of both technical and creative processes.”
His works, most of which are available on his website, include magazine covers for A Book Of Magazine, ADON New York, BF Russia, Preview, Lifestyle Asia, and Rank Magazine.
While the 31-year-old Mayo is well-versed in black and white portraiture, he refuses to be caged into it. “I’d like to think that my approach, no matter what color it is or the lack thereof, is always theatrical, dynamic, and sincere.”
“My approach has always been about making personal connections and looking beyond people’s facades,” he adds. “And when I shoot, I imagine the most perfect image and then break it down into its sincerest, most essential elements. Intuition, then technique, and always in that order. My goal is not to emulate perfection but to capture authenticity.”
Recently, Mayo was recognized as one of the regional grant recipients of the prestigious Fujifilm GFX Challenge Grant Program, a global competition aimed at helping “aspiring creatives bring their imaging projects to life.” Upon completion, the winning projects will be exhibited in Roppongi, Tokyo in November this year.
In this interview, Mayo talks about the story behind his project, the privilege of his practice, and finding authenticity in every moment he captures.
‘ ’22’: ‘image’: ‘jcr:a76fee3c-8058-424a-afe6-733c657c318b’ ‘imageCaption’: ‘Outtakes from the photographer’s winning entry to the Fujifilm
Let’s talk about the Fujifilm GFX Challenge Grant Program, which you’ve recently won as one of its regional grant awardees. I’ve learned that it’s your second time participating in the competition. Can you share more about it, and why did you decide to give it another shot?
Last year, I made it to the semifinals. I was interviewed by regional executives from different Southeast Asian countries, and it was nerve-wracking. The interview was like a thesis defense. I prepared to discuss my creative process, but I was confronted with a lot of technical questions that I was unprepared to answer. I lost on feasibility and technicalities.
But I took notes. I researched the previous winners, and I joined again this year. I wanted to prove to myself that I could win this time. Here are things that I learned that were missing from my proposal last year. First, the project has to have a narrative. Photography is a medium for storytelling. Second, the project has to be in touch with the humanities. Through a photographer’s lens, a project has to explore and understand what it is to be human. And lastly, the project has to have a purpose. Why showcase it? Why is it relevant now? How will it impact society? And I think the formula worked.
Your project, “The Philippine Flora: Portraits and Still Lifes in Diptychs,” presents endemic plants in the Philippines through beauty editorial. What made you gravitate towards this theme?
I noticed in proposal-based competitions that there was always a focus on photojournalism and documentary photography, which I think are great, but nobody pays attention to fashion and beauty, and I wanted to bring something new. I thought of something that I can genuinely bring to the table because I cannot propose a project that is very different from my portfolio. There will be a disconnect, and portfolio is a big factor in this competition.
So I thought of something that is feasible, authentic to my work, and has social and cultural relevance. And I thought of plants as an accessory to beauty photographs. I knew I could do it, but I needed the project to have some relevance and impact. So I framed the project to be done exclusively with endemic flora, and I made sure that this had to be in consultation and in partnership with an academic. I approached Adriane Tobias, a researcher and teaching associate from UP Los Baños, he said that they were also looking for networks to promote endemic plants in the country, and I formulated the project from there.
You’re the only Filipino photographer among all the grant winners. How significant is that for you?
You know, I never realized how big of a deal it was until I saw all the winners. For the Asia-Pacific region, it was just China, Japan, Australia, and the Philippines [that made it]. And I think the competition was even tighter for Southeast Asians since seven countries were competing for one of five spots in the region. And even then, there was no guarantee that there would be someone from Southeast Asia. It depends on the quality of all the submissions. I am just honored to be alongside the other winners. I have read their project summaries, and they deserved the win.
‘ ’42’: ‘image’: ‘jcr:4527c304-4d9b-462f-a578-3f8b9133a473’ ‘imageCaption’: ‘Maxwell Simeos photographed by JAN MAYO. Photo courtesy of
To what extent should a photographer be involved in a photograph?
I guess it depends on what I’m shooting. For portraiture — and there can be a whole debate about this, since a photo is a reflection of the photographer — I have to be as detached as possible and tell a story through the sitter’ s eyes. But when it comes to beauty and fashion, the vision comes first. So there are a lot of changes in persona in this craft.
We met last March at the exhibit you developed with hairstylist Jing Monis and visual artist Aaron Virata Mempin. How important was the collaboration for you, and how was it working with them?
Thank you for coming to that exhibit! That was actually my first time to mount something that was not part of a group exhibition, and I am happy that Jing made it all happen. The collaboration made me realize that this craft can be purposeful and has the power to bring people together.
You’ve already worked with various international and local publications. I’m curious about the projects that you’re most proud of.
I think my favorite editorial shoot was the one of Dylan Arnold from Netflix’s “You.” We shot in Los Angeles. My friend, Irvin Rivera, asked me to shoot one of the actors for his publication, and everything worked great. I learned a lot about the best practices of shooting in the US, and I bring those learnings with me whenever and wherever I shoot.
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