Celebrity Photographer Jan Mayo Takes Over Japan
Where petals meet portraiture, Jan Mayo’s “Faces and Flora” at JP Tower Museum INTERMEDIATHEQUE showcases Philippine and Japanese native plant photography in a breathtaking fusion of art and science.
Words Mika Reyes
Photos courtesy of Jan Mayo
August 4, 2025
Step into the hushed grandeur of Tokyo’s JP Tower Museum INTERMEDIATHEQUE, where the worlds of portraiture and plant life entwine in a celebration of beauty, heritage, and cross-cultural exchange. In Faces and Flora – Philippines and Japan Native Plant Photography, Manila’s own Jan Zoilo Rafael Mayo unveils a series that transcends mere documentation to become an evocative editorial on identity, ecology, and artistry.
A Poetic Convergence of Art and Botany
With roots in a renewed research partnership between the University Museum of the University of Tokyo and the National Museum of the Philippines, this special exhibition marries botanical still-life photography with portraits of models draped in indigenous foliage. By collaborating closely with leading botanists and curators from both nations, Mayo transforms scientific specimens into living narratives, urging us to consider how culture, memory, and environment coalesce in each leaf and visage.
Each presentation pairs an arresting portrait with a delicate studio shot of native flora, supplemented by an actual herbarium sample pulled from the prestigious collections of the University of Tokyo and the Philippine National Herbarium. This triad—model, plant, specimen—whispers of conservation, classification, and the art of seeing.
From Manila to Marunouchi
Awarded the Fujifilm GFX Challenge Grant in 2022, Mayo tapped into his lifelong fascination with regional vegetation to craft this series. The Philippine chapter of Faces and Flora builds on his acclaimed 2024 showcase at Manila’s National Museum of Natural History, while the Japanese segment was shot last spring among the blooms of Koishikawa Botanical Garden.
The result is an intimate yet grand portrait of two archipelagos: one rich in tropical warmth, the other in temperate elegance. Throughout, Mayo’s editorial sensibility shines—soft light, poised poses, and an undercurrent of reverence for the natural world.
Curating Connection
INTERMEDIATHEQUE’s design philosophy champions the nexus of art and science, and here it finds its fullest expression. As visitors wander the Grey Cube, they encounter not only striking imagery but also two historic bird specimens collected by Japanese naturalist Yaeko Yamamura on Basilan Island. Entrusted to Tokyo’s Yamashina Institute for Ornithology, these avian relics nod to a century-long dialogue between Japan and the Philippines, reminding us that exchange flourishes in many forms.
For lectures or press inquiries, visit the INTERMEDIATHEQUE website or email [email protected]. Whether you’re drawn by high-fashion allure or scientific intrigue, Faces and Flora promises an unforgettable journey through two nations’ verdant legacies—one portrait at a time.
