my first solo exhibit

A look at Puerta, my first solo photo exhibit at Pablo Gallery in Cubao X last February 2011. :)

Here are a few write-ups about the exhibit :)

- GMA News Online - Puerta celebrates female sexuality by Carmela Lapena 

- Sex and Sensibilities - Puerta: Mitch Mauricio's Great Wall of Vagina by Ana Santos

state of flux

I haven't updated my blog since February! Things have been pretty busy and I'm going through a lot of changes right now... resigned from my safe job at GMA-7 to build a wedding photography business, created a new website, setting up collaborations with fellow women artists, cooking up some new photo blogs, and testing out new waters. 

So far, I've been my own boss for the last two scary yet exciting months... I really have to make this work! To help me grown and experiment more in photography, I have decided to:

- bring my camera wherever I go and take pictures daily; to shoot out of the box

- to immerse myself more in new things/experiences that interest me such art and sexuality (ex. take pole dancing classes, attend monthly Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School sessions, connect with like-minded groups, etc)

- AND to update this personal blog weekly :)

One deep breath, and I here I go... 

shameless plug - 1st solo exhibit

I haven't posted anything since the start of the year because I've been busy preparing for my first solo exhibit. :)

"Five years ago, Mitch Mauricio realized that even as an “adult” she had but a vague understanding of her own sexual identity, that she lived most of her life ignoring her urges and her desires. She made a conscious decision to recognize these often ignored aspects of her personality and to document her discoveries using her camera. Did other women feel the same way about their own sexual development? Do they even acknowledge their own sexuality? To find answers, Mitch set out to connect with other women who were willing to share their stories in the hopes of broadening her understanding of a topic that is discussed only in hushed tones, if at all.

In Puerta, Mitch’s first solo exhibit, she shares with the public an intimate collection of photographs that fearlessly explore female sexuality. Her work is an attempt to stimulate discussion about women’s sexual desires, their unique needs, and the role that female sexuality plays in our lives.

Mitch attempts to capture all twelve vagina portraits completely devoid of sexual objectification and commercial glamour, in the hopes that the audience will come to see the vagina in a different light."


Puerta opens as the Valentine exhibit of Pablo Gallery in Cubao at 7pm on Febuary 12^th. 


I hope you can drop by! :)

new muse

The spontaneous move to Quezon City early this year really affected my mindset... in a good way. I'm definitely falling in love with the laid-back atmosphere & creative vibe of this city. Can't wait to explore more of it next year! :)

rekindling the flame

It has been 8 years since I last used a film camera. I wanted to get in touch with my film roots, so I purchased a Rolleicord and started using it. No built-in light meter, only 12 shots per roll of film, the square format is absolutely new to me, and there's no LCD screen to check if the pictures are fine --- anxiety hit me like speeding 12-wheeler truck on C5. Can I still do this? Do I even remember how film works? Will I be able to enjoy this again?

When the scanned negatives finally arrived, I felt like I was meeting the ex after a loooong time. A mixture of nervousness & excitement brewing in me as I opened the files. 

It was love at first sight! How flexible yet sensitive film is,  the smooth transition of light to shadow, the grainy texture, the anticipation, and the pleasant surprises reminded me why I fell for photography in the first place. :D

(bagong kaadikan nanaman 'to!)

playing with food

Been wanting to test the waters of food photography for the longest time, and was finally able to experiment with Chef Mia Yan of Mihca last weekend. We wanted the food to look elegant yet extraordinary, the results were pretty interesting. :D

It pays off to play with your food once in a while! ;) Can't wait to do another session with Chef Mia soon.  

synchronicity

One rainy afternoon, I arrived at the home of one of my idols, Ms. Gilda Cordero-Fernando, for an Anik-Anik Love interview. 

Our first meeting, I was nervous. She was curious. 

She was writing about young Filipinas who aren't bound by gender, the select few who can genuinely fall in love with both men & women. Is gender swinging a growing trend in young women nowadays? Are there really no gender limits when it comes to love?

I, on the other hand, was cooking up a project that explores bisexuality through photographs. 

We spent an entire afternoon just talking about the complications of life, the fluidity of love, and the need to express one's self --- the perfect ingredients for a collaboration. 

Tita Gilda asked if I can contribute a photograph for her article on gender swinging, of course I said yes! To work with THE Ms. Gilda Cordero-Fernando, famed writer and cultural icon, is a dream come true! :)

Check out the article here!

Philippine Daily Inquirer 
Oct. 31, 2010