In Homage to Nature and Culture with Susan Larsson

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Art by

Photography by
Susan Larsson

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7 mins.

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Worldly and hyphenated, Susan Larsson moved from Sweden and found home in the waters of Camarines Sur. Here, she discovered an affinity for wake skating, even bagging gold for the country in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. Susan blends her love for nature with her passion for photography and videography, using the camera to tell compelling stories in and out of the water,

Exhibit 95 is set to present “An Homage to the Love of Nature and Culture, from the Peaks of the Mountains to the Depths of the Sea,” an exhibit that showcases the works of Susan Larsson and Terence Angsioco. Exhibit95 is a platform dedicated to featuring creatives and advocates of local communities, sustainability, and marine life, providing a space to share their work in the aims of merging creativity and environmental advocacy to inspire meaningful change

Curated by Marinela Drew of the cultural hub, The Astbury, the exhibit is the first of a four-part series. Independent artists from Southeast Asia are invited to apply for the succeeding exhibits to highlight the rich tapestry of nature and culture unique to the region.

An Homage to the Love of Nature and Culture, from the Peaks of the Mountains to the Depths of the Sea, July 2024
Discover What Lies Beneath the Surface, October 2024
The Dance Between the Surfboard and the Waves, January 2025
The Lens Above Ground Level, April 2025

The first exhibit debuts on July 27, 2024, at The Astbury in Poblacion, Makati City, and will run for three months.

We sat down with Susan Larsson to discuss the upcoming exhibit and what influences her work.

GRID: So how did you come to be featured by Exhbit95?

Susan Larsson: I went to The Astbury for a coffee and tea tasting event by MAD Travel. I like what MAD Travel does, they do eco tours and projects with the tribes in Zambales, since I used to live in Zambales during the pandemic where I’d shoot content for an organic beach farm located there.

[While I was there, I met Marinela through Rafael Dionisio and Jermaine Choa Peck of MAD Travel. Marinela runs programs for The Astbury and curated an exhibit of Mati Olivieri's work, a surf photographer from Siargao, that’s still ongoing.] Then we started talking about photography and how she wanted to feature more photographers. When I told her I always wanted to exhibit my work but never had an opportunity, there was a moment of silence and then she repeated the word, “opportunityyyyyyy”

GRID: Can you tell me about your background and how you got into photography?

Susan: My interest in photography started when I was around 13. [This was back in Västerås, Sweden, where I grew up.] I would use my family’s point-and-shoot and bring it everywhere, taking photos of friends and the things we were doing. A lot of my friends were into skateboarding or musicians playing in punk bands. I found them fascinating and wanted to document their lives. For me, photography has always been a kind of therapy, a way to overcome social anxiety using the camera to connect with people.

My mom's from a small town called Baao, near Iriga. It's pretty near CWC, the wakeboard park. One of the reasons why I wanted to stay is because I discovered wake skating, which is one of my addictions up until today. I joined a lot of competitions like the SEA Games playing for the Philippine National Team.

I never had a sport [before] so when I found [wake skating], I got really obsessed and that's also when I started shooting video. Because a lot of my friends needed to get filmed wakeboarding or wake skating and no one else was filming them. Not a lot of people had the cameras for it back then. [I was learning through] trial and error. There were foreigners that would come and stay because [Cam Sur] is pretty popular for people from Europe, or anywhere where it gets cold, so that's where they train and a lot of them become pros. They usually have people filming them so I’d just ask them questions. Among the locals, I was pretty much the only one [shooting].

GRID: What informs your creative practice as a photographer?

Susan: I get most of my inspiration from nature, especially the ocean. I like how it's always changing and you never get bored looking at it. I would say the photos of surf culture [in the exhibit are the ones that hold particular significance to me]. I enjoy how [surfing] brings you to different places and people. I feel at home the most by the sea. [So, more than a studio], I prefer shooting in nature, watching people from different cultures and the things that they do.

GRID: Can you share any particular moments on the field that have shaped you as a photographer?

Susan: I think [what has inspired me] is meeting other photographers that you look up to and seeing how their work can help people. One [such] moment was [last year] when Carmen del Prado and I worked on a documentary together for SPARK! Philippines called Sine Niña. We got to travel to different places in the country following four young women and their diverse struggles and contributions to society. It was inspiring to meet these women and it felt important to document and share their stories.

GRID: What role can photography hold in the appreciation and preservation of nature and cultural heritage?

Susan: [With so many things happening,] I think it's important to take care of nature. For example, when I was living in Zambales, and up till now, there have been issues with boats illegally dredging and destroying sandbars. Like, the coastline has receded by a lot, to the point that houses are falling into the water. I feel strongly about injustices like these, you see it a lot here [in the country] and how people's lives could be in danger in trying to protect the environment.

Photography can tell stories [and be used to educate], giving you a glimpse into other people's lives and places you might never see [otherwise]. It’s important to share these stories to help preserve them: [By documenting these kinds of stories], more people will see and learn about them. How else would people be aware that they exist if it's not accessible for everyone to go to these places? How can you help if you don’t even know about it? Then, they can be inspired to help others as well.

Photographers interested in participating in the succeeding exhibits, as well as visitors looking to RSVP for the opening reception, can do so here. Follow Exhibit95 on Instagram for updates and additional information.