Jake Verzosa, 1979, Republic of the Philippines, is a successful commercial and editorial photographer based in Manila. Amongst his clients are McDonalds and Nike. Due to these commisions he has been able to travel around Southeast Asia and work on his personal, documentary photography. Recently he has photographed elderly women in the Cordillera mountain range of the Philippines. They are the last women that have the traditional tattoos that hold values of women's strength and fortitude. Due to the influence of western interpretations of aesthetics the perception of beauty has changed amongst the younger generation. Earlier, during his travels, he was already photographing various indigenous peoples throughout Southeast Asia, resulting in the project Communal Identity. The following images come from the series The Last Tattooed Women of Kalinga, Communal Identity and Manila's Railside.
Website: www.matanglawin.ph