Human rights photographer James Whitlow Delano has been documenting the Philippines for the past 30 years with his camera. In his latest exhibition, the world-renowned photographer goes beyond the headlines in President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody "drug war" to capture the human effect.
Mr Delano’s exhibition entitled, 'Normalising Extrajudicial Murder in the Philippines,' illustrates how the country's formal judicial process has been replaced by swift executions in the streets. Known as ‘Oplan Tokhang’, the Philippine Drug War has devastated the lives of many Filipinos, particularly those living in the slums of Manila.
Through his collection, Mr Delano hopes people will understand the human toll of the drug war on a more emotional and personal level.
"Human rights is about respect and opportunity and to be able to pursue a full life in peace and when that is not present, I feel for the people and their situation and I like to try to create a voice for them.”
In an interview with SBS Filipino, Mr Delano shared how the main objective of his work is to put the audience "in the shoes of the people who are going through what I’m photographing and to understand the subject better".
"The whole time there’s an inner voice in my head thinking, 'how can I translate what this place is like to people who have never been here? How can they understand the people who live in this place?' That’s how I generally work when I’m on the streets," he explained.
Mr Delano's work concentrates on culture, the environment and human rights issues. When asked why he is drawn to the latter in particular, he says, "I look at somebody and I think why can’t they have the opportunity the same way that I do or you do. Why not? Human rights is about respect and opportunity and to be able to pursue a full life in peace and when that is not present, I feel for the people and their situation and I like to try to create a voice for them.”
The exhibit will run at Paddington Town Hall, Sydney, from May 5 to May 20.
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