Photographed by Delali Ayivi
Photographers MJ Suayan, Chiron Duong, and Delali Ayivi share their insights on photography, culture, and joining PhotoVogue.
What does it mean to see, and to be seen, through the lens of culture, memory, and emotion? For photographers MJ Suayan, Chiron Duong, and Delali Ayivi, joining PhotoVogue was more than a milestone. It was an opportunity to translate their truths into visual language, each shaped by personal history, place, and purpose.
From the bustling streets of Quiapo to the warmth of Vietnam and the vibrant culture of Togo, their photography transcends image-making. It becomes a form of storytelling, activism, healing, and reclamation. As PhotoVogue continues to spotlight artists with vision and voice, Suayan, Duong, and Ayivi exemplify what it means to create with intention.
MJ Suayan
Before submitting to PhotoVogue, MJ Suayan could be found on the streets of Quiapo, Manila, where he first began experimenting and exploring photography. Wrought with grief from the loss of his daughter, the busy streets offered a new kind of home for Suayan. There, he discovered his earlier style of photography, which he described as “dark, bold, expressive, and a bit reckless.”
“My images aren’t eye candy, that’s for sure,” he says. “My works evoke and provoke emotions and reactions, and that’s my goal as an artist.” From street photography, Suayan transitioned to conceptual photography, fine art photography, and ultimately, fashion photography. Further wanting to share his story and art, Suayan submitted his images for PhotoVogue. Since then, he has amassed 70 PhotoVogue-approved images, which have been featured on Vogue Italia.
“PhotoVogue seeks images that tell a story,” he says. “They hunt for photographers with a vision.” To aspiring photographers, he advises: “Be more authentic. Be crazier and freer in creating. Embrace change. We need game changers.”
Chiron Duong
Chiron Duong’s love for photography started when he was 21 years old. As a busy architecture student, Duong was searching for a way to relax after hours of studying at university. “I was still self-taught after all these years, until I realized that I had the ability to connect observation with my artistic talent,” he says. After exhibiting in France and Italy, he chose to devote himself entirely to photography.
In 2021, Duong submitted for PhotoVogue. “I experimented with PhotoVogue because I thought this was a place for me to meet many talented photographers with quality and good thoughts, and perspectives,” he says. More importantly, the open call is a platform for him to share issues that he cares about globally.
By joining the platform, Duong shares three key messages: hope, peace, and love. “These are aspects of Vietnam’s message to the world,” he says. “Photographers, let’s spread human values together. For a better world, because of the beauty of photography and visual arts. And for something to share with future generations.”
Delali Ayivi
For Delali Ayivi, photography and social commentary are inextricably linked. “My social convictions, I think, almost dictate how I point my camera, how I want my subjects to move, how I edit my images,” she says. Having lived in different areas of the world (the United States, Germany, Malawi, and London), the 27-year-old photographer brings a nuanced perspective on African culture and heritage.
Together with fashion activist Malaika Nabilatou, they form the artistic duo Togo YEYE and have exhibited their works at the PhotoVogue Festival in 2021, 2022, and 2023. Translating to “a new Togo” in Ewe, Togo YEYE is a collaboration with fashion design students, street style figures, stylists, writers, makeup artists, models, and artists to create uplifting stories for the conceptual publication.
“Photography has historically, not just in recent times, but historically always been used to justify certain narratives. And in the case of Africa, very singular narratives,” she shares. “There’s a need for nuance and complexity in the storytelling.”
In her photos, Togolese culture defines her visual language. “There are lots of colors. We are not shy about colors,” she says, recalling her grandmother’s bright green walls in the living room. She also takes inspiration from paintings and religious imagery.
For her, leaning into your identity is the way to find your voice as a photographer. “Be true to yourself and realize the immense kind of power that you and your experiences have, no matter how you grew up,” she advises. “[It’s easy to] get caught up in someone else’s world and fantasy and try to replicate it. And [then] you neglect the uniqueness you have just by default, by being human.”
To submit for PhotoVogue, take a look at the Regional and Global Open Call submission guidelines.
