Epic and vivid. Sweeping and intimate. Universal and yet peculiar. Such is the range of works that the Camera Club of the Philippines shows in an exhibit 22/44: Dimensions of Hope at the King Juan Carlos I of Spain Center (KJCSC) in New York University until May 15. The exhibit is a joint presentation by NYU and the Ayala Museum and is curated by the Ayala Museum’s director for international exhibitions Dr. Florina Capistrano-Baker.

The Camera Club of the Philippines, founded in 1928 is the oldest and most prestigious photography club in Asia. And 22/44 is part of the center’s efforts to showcase the Philippine’s "cultural crossroads with Asian, Spanish and US influences."

The featured photographs from the Camera Club are as layered and varied as the subjects and scenes they aim to capture. With 44 works exhibited in 22 pairs, 22/44 is able to display the "converges and contrasts in contours and content" that only a heritage as hybrid as the Philippines’ can possess.

Upon looking at the images, one can sense a "verbal exchange" between the canvasses, echoing their similarities, reflecting their disparities, and subtly in between, celebrating the masters behind their lenses. So it comes as no surprise that even Camera Club president Raoul Littaua can say: "Knowing the caliber of my colleagues in the club, I am extremely excited to see their contributions."

The photographs in 22/44 capture the exuberance of youth presented amid a backdrop of immaculate beaches; the furrowed brow and hands hardened by honest labor are also celebrated and honored, whether of a candle vendor, fisherman, farmer, or salt producer. Religious influences and practices are expressed in church vistas and figures in deep prayer. Lush tropical landscapes and regional delights like calesas, old houses, and green terraces are captured in a different light. Even the social upheavals resulting from the two People Power movements where sheer mass outrage forced two presidents out of office, are told in its most intimate and indignant climaxes.

Camera Club member and past president, Dr. Roberto M. Paterno, who has balanced his work with his love for photography, chaired the exhibit from the local front. Layout and digitizing of the images was done by Arnel P. Murillo and printing by E. Billy Mondoñedo, both Camera Club members.  This print exhibit is accompanied by an audio-visual presentation scripted Camera Club past president Felice Sta. Maria and directed by Arnel Murillo. 

The Camera Club of the Philippines, together with the KJCSC, NYU, Ayala Foundation, and the Philippine Consulate General in New York City, targets the Filipino-American community, academe members, and New York City’s general public as its audiences. Through 22/44, the resonating universalities and intriguing peculiarities of Philippine culture, the club hopes "to elicit a sense of wonder and pleasure" as well as "stimulate intellectual curiosity."

The exhibit is the start of a cultural festival that also includes film viewings of independent Filipino filmmakers and discussions with Filipino American scholars.