Aya Cabauatan

About

Acclaimed photographer and visual artist who established the creative venue, artist space, and studio BALAY KŌBŌ in Manila. Her fashion and editorial work has been featured in prominent publications including Vogue Philippines and PAP Magazine and on the cover of L'Officiel Philippine. She has presented her artistry in major projects including her "Please Make it Stop" series for the "Hemispheres" group exhibition at Tarzeer Pictures in Manila as well as in the Fujifilm Instax WIDE Evo "10:10 - Wider Stories to Tell" exhibit. She has been praised for her experimentation with analog film, particularly within the increasingly digital artistic landscape. She has also gained recognition for her surrealist interpretations of essential elements and her ability to highlight details that are often overlooked.

Before Fame

She began her journey as a photographer as a teen, capturing images for her high school's newspaper with her iPod Touch or Lumix digital camera. She began securing paid gigs early on and continued to do freelance photography throughout college before focusing on the craft fulltime once she graduated in 2020. While attending a Junior Term Abroad (JTA) at Sophia University in Japan, she began experimenting with analog film.

Trivia

As a photographer, she is entirely self-taught. While attending Ateneo de Manila University, she took photos for the Company of Ateneo Dancers (CADs). In addition to having been commissioned by notable labels like Adidas and Young STAR, she has also served as the in-house photographer for the lifestyle brand Tropa as well as the clothing line Araw.  

Family Life

As a child, she and her sister enjoyed taking photos together in the park during the "Golden Hour" of sunlight. She was first introduced to photography by her father, who enjoyed taking photos as a hobby. She shot her first roll of film using his Nikon F3 in 2014. 

Associated With

In 2021, she photographed prominent content creators Laureen Uy and Rei Germar for L'Officiel Philippines.