Unraveling Deeper Emotions on Darker Tones
Photographer Pia Mercado’s Curated Pieces for “KUHA” in Art Fair Philippines 2025
Photos courtesy of Tedrick Yau
February 19, 2025
This series is an extension of photographer Pia Mercado’s 2024 fine art photography series, “Impetus”. Initially, the works focused on aquarium shots of the Protea—a striking flower from South Africa that captivated her. The Protea symbolizes change and transformation, mirroring her own life experiences at the time. The final images serve as visual meditations, exploring the beauty of complexity, the richness of life’s emotional spectrum, and the idea that both the world and ourselves hold more depth than what is immediately visible.
Mercado is among the exhibiting photographers for Fotomoto’s open call: "I/Land", at the Ayala Museum. Additionally, her participation in "KUHA," curated by Cocoy Lumbao for FotomotoPH, marks her debut as an exhibiting artist at Art Fair Philippines this February 2025.
While her earlier series embraced vibrant colors, the works in KUHA take on a darker palette. Deep contrasts and rich reds evoke passion, decay, and renewal, while fluid textures suggest movement—the merging of forces beyond usual control. This body of work was created during a personal crisis, a time when her mind and body felt like an unraveling. She wasn’t sure if she had any strength left to create, yet with each completed piece, she found a glimmer of hope.
This series is deeply personal, reflecting personal struggles. However, she doesn't want viewers to be overwhelmed by its weight. Instead, she hopes for a glimpse of the hardship and, more importantly, the triumph of overcoming hardships. Above all, she wants the audience to experience the beauty that art can reveal, even in the midst of turmoil.
In 2022, Mercado was recognized in Apollo Magazine’s 40 Under 40 list of international art influencers. Although she took a few photography courses during her undergraduate studies, she did not fully explore the craft until 2022, when she joined IMAGES Camera Club, a prestigious photography organization in Cebu that has been active since the 1980s. In 2024, she was elected Vice President - External and ranked among the Top 5 Photographers of the Year. In 2024, she was also a participating artist in the FotoMoto exhibition, "Subtle Alchemy," curated by Gio Panlilio.
Other than her craft, Mercado is the co-director of Qube Gallery, a contemporary art gallery in Cebu. She holds a degree in Fine Arts, major in Advertising Arts, from the University of Santo Tomas in Manila and pursued further studies in Art Business at New York University. During her time in New York, she interned at the United Nations and worked with ChaShaMa, a nonprofit organization that supports artists by providing them a space to create, present, and connect.
As a gallery director, Mercado has mounted numerous exhibitions and occasionally curated shows. However, she reached a new milestone when curator Stephanie Frondoso invited her to participate in the photography exhibition "The World In Love With Itself", alongside some of the country’s top photographers, including Neal Oshima, Tom Epperson, Veejay Villafranca, Herley Casero, and Jason Quibilan, among others. This was the catalyst, the beginning of her journey as a fine art photographer.
