MM Yu

MM Yu has worked between photography and painting since obtaining her degree in Fine Arts from the University of the Philippines in 2001. Her works in both media tackle the nuances achieved between composition and color as they occupy the frame. Primarily drawn to street photography and documenting the everyday, her photographs capture the ever-changing cultural texture and topology of Manila as seen through its inhabitants, the city’s infrastructure and its waste products. Her images function as archives of both the economy and ecology of life in the city. Yu is a recipient of the Cultural Center of the Philippines 13 Artist Award (2009) Ateneo Art Awards (winner in 2007, shortlisted in 2011/2012). Sovereign Asian Art Prize finalist (2010) and Goethe-Institute-Climate Change workshop grant
(2014). She received her BFA in Painting from the University of the Philippines and completed residencies with Big Sky Mind, Manila (2003), Common Room Bandung Residency Grant (2007), Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, France (2013) and A.I.R. DECK Photography Art Centre in Singapore (2023).