About

Leah A. Valle is from Davao City, Philippines.

E D U C  A T I O N

Master in Arts in Photography, Savannah College of Arts and Design, Hong Kong/France, 2015
Bachelor of Arts, Philosophy, Ateneo de Davao University, Davao City, Philippines, 2004

_LAY8151Image by Saïd Raïs, Institut National des Beaux-Arts, Tétouan

W O R K S , E X H I B I T I O N S , a n d P E R F O R M A N C E S

  • Makassar Biennale, Co-curator, Philippines and Indonesia. A contemporary art dialogue that takes place every two years in Indonesia.
  • Forging Identities, Curator, Bahrain. An exhibition that explores the works of five Bahrain-based Filipino creatives reassessing their personal expressions through various forms of visual art (2018).
  • Days of Disquiet,co-organizer, Art Portal, Davao City. Photo Art exhibit by Arnel Villegas with forum about martial law on the 46th anniversary of the Marcos Martial Law declaration (2018).
  • Missing Posters, Cebu City. A photographic project of people’s retrospective memory of their last happy moment in the form of “missing posters”. Posted in public spaces and in police bulletin boards in the aim to initiate a visual dialogue about how the system we belong to promotes individualism and consumerism that drives people to be unhappy(2018).
  • Nutrition Facts, 856 G Gallery, Cebu City. A photography exhibit showcasing photographs taken at the open pit mining site in Banay-banay. A project in collaboration with Rm.74, Steetkonnect, and Tropical Futures Institute (2016).
  • Art Dialogue: on community art, history engaged, and left-wing art. An art discussion with Outsiders Factory’s curator Chan Wei and artist Liu Chi-Hung (2016).
  • Puluy-anan, Residence director and curator of artist/photographer Paige Lipsky photographic project meant to spark social discourse about cemeteries in Davao City and its settlers, both the living and the dead and the multidimensional phenomenon of urban migration (2016).
  • Transitory Encounters, a public art performance about migration and mobility, cultural displacement and the cohabitation of cultural identities. Constructed a pop-up gallery, documented and printed fine art photographs in collaboration with Melbourne-based artist Riza Manalo (2015)
  • Unang Badlis, Got Heart Foundation, Davao City, Philippines. Organized and curated artworks of Guhit Pinas, Davao City Chapter (2014).
  • Got Heart Exhibit, Earth Kitchen Galley, Manila, Philippines. A group exhibition in collaboration with Melissa Yeung to raise funds for children and victims of Typhoon Yolanda in Tacloban.
  • Filipina Migrant Workers Exhibition, Li Hall, Central Hong Kong. Curated photographs of Filipina migrant workers in HK (2014).
  • Creatives Rising by See.Me. Public digital projection of Fine Art Image in New York City (2013).
  • The 2013 Mysteries, Dreams, and Other Works Exhibition by Lenscratch. A digital exhibition (2013).
  • Story of the Creative, See Exhibition Space, New York City. See.Me Exhibition group exhibition along with other artists representing over 100 different nations. Three fine art photos were included (2013).
  • It’s a Beautiful Moment, When the Day is Born: Photographs From the South of France, Sponsored by Alliance Francaise D’Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia USA. An group exhibition of the photographs in France during Atlanta Celebrates Photography (2013).
  • In Limbo: Senatorial Election 2013, Jockey Cultural Club, Hong Kong (June 2013).
  • Exposition des etudiants de SCAD Lacoste: Fabrice Rigois, Studio 3, Lacoste (November 
2012).
  • Exposition des etudiants de SCAD Lacoste: Aletheia, Blue Gallery, Lacoste (November 2012)
  • In Limbo, Jockey Cultural Club, Hong Kong (May 2012).
  • Lights and Shadows, Hong Kong Cultural Center, Hong Kong. A joint exhibition with 
China Photographers Association, Beijing Institute of Photography Correspondence, and 
Shenzhen Institute Hong Kong (February 2012)
  • Hong Kong Winter Fashion Week, Knitwear and Timetravel, Hong Kong Cultural Center.
  • Buy a Postcard, Pay it Forward, Cebu City. Photography exhibit with 15 photographers 
selected by the Tsinelas Foundation from across the Philippines. Photos displayed, printed 
as postcards, and sold to benefit public school children in Cebu (September 2009).
  • 10th Musikahan sa Tagum / 3rd Inernational Rondalla Festival 2010. Invited by Citygovernment to exhibit photos of Tagum during their weeklong international music festivalwith participants from thirteen countries.
  • Apo View Hotel Kadayawan Fiesta, featured as local artist in jewelry design (August 2011).

P U B L I C A T I O N S

  • Widow of Mamasapano. An article for Rappler featuring Muslim widows of Tukanalipao Mamasapano after the encounter between Moro Islamid Liberation Front freedom fighters and Philippine National Police Special Action Forces.
  • Aestheticized. An article for Davao Today about social, economic, and political motivations of a certain art trend.
  • Absent- Hong Kong OFWs snubbing polls. An article for Rappler featuring photos of Filipino absentee voting during Senatorial Election 2013 in Hong Kong.
  • Contributing photographer: Photoshop Elements 9 and All-In-One for Dummies (ver. 8 and 9) by Ted Padova.

D O C U M E  N TA  R Y  a n d   P H O T O J O U R N A L I S M

  • Designing Disaster Resilient Communities, sponsored by the US Embassy and Philippine 
Institute of Environmental Planners.
  • People’s Fact Finding for Mission for Truth and Accountability (January 2015). A fact-finding mission spearheaded by Suara Bangsamoro and KAWAGIB to investigate human rights violation that happened during the Mamasapano encounter that killed 18 Moro Islamic Liberation Front and 44 Philippine National Police Special Action Forces.
  • North Cotabato: Muslim Communities. Photo and video documenter of KILAB Multimedia for a project about issues faced by Muslim communities like cultural discrimination and their freedom fighter groups such as Moro Islamic Liberation Front and Bangsamoro Freedom Fighters in North Cotabato, Philippines.
  • Mindanao Peace Forum (January 2010). Forum by Mindanao Interfaith Services 
Foundation Inc. sponsored by the European Commission addressing peace and capacity 
building projects in Mindanao.
  • 2011 Mindanao Zonal Research Conference, Brokenshire College
  • President of the Philippines, State of the Nation Address (2010)
  • Strengthening Government and Non-Government Partnership in the Government 
Procurement Process. Sponsored by the US Embassy and Procurement Watch (included online documentation).
  • Prospects and Challenges of RA9344: A Multi-stakeholder Summit on Children in Conflict 
with the Law, General Santos City . Lead documenter (January 2010)
  • Declaration of Benigno Aquino, III’s presidential candidacy
  • Paminaw Mindanaw! 2010. Presidential Forum, Initiatives for International Dialogue
  • Youth Against Hunger (2010) project of the World Food Organization and Aksyon 
Mindanao
  • Sigwa (Storm), Davao media organizer for Kyabaan, for an independent film by Joel 
Lamangan entered into the Sixth Cinemalaya, national indie film festival (also wrote 
weblog).
  • Cinema Rehiyon, Davao City (February 2011), An open national film festival focusing on 
independent films created outside Metro Manila (online write up).
  • 3rd International Rondalla Festival (rotational) and 10th Musikahan sa Tagum Festival (also 
wrote weblog).
  • Vice Mayor’s League of the Philippines Annual Assembly (February 2010).
  • International Solidarity Mission, fact-finding mission in Compostela Valley.
  • Aksyon Mindanaw, official organizational photographer.