We all have our own safe havens for our mental well-being. Some turn to physical archives that protect their thoughts without prejudice. Others rely on more social pastimes, like clubs and online communities.
For me, however, solace is most prominent in my “homes away from home”—the latest one being the second floor of my college alma mater’s art wing.
Photo: When In Manila
When I first heard that Geloy Concepcion, one of my favorite Filipino photographers, was holding his debut exhibit at the Areté Art Gallery of Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU), I wasted no time planning my visit. Knowing the long-standing emotional weight of his work, which has touched hearts worldwide, I figured I was in for a cathartic, tearful experience.
My time there was so much more than that.
Every carefully crafted image in Geloy’s first exhibit, Things You Wanted to Say But Never Did, spoke to me like the missing puzzle pieces in my day-to-day musings. His masterfully captured stills of the life and love around us uplift the perspectives that make us human, albeit messy and taxing.
We contain multitudes of stories and connections that complete us. And if there’s one thing I can vouch for at Geloy’s debut exhibit, it’s how it embraces these aspects of our existence in an immersive space that safekeeps our emotions with nothing left unsaid.
Photos That Carry Countless Messages
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We’ve all harbored intense ruminations that never saw the light of day. Concealed feelings, unspoken truths, and confessions we can’t find the right words for have likely kept us up at night far more often than we want to admit.
At Geloy’s exhibit, we can finally set these soul-crushing thoughts free.
Walls full of hazy, dream-like pictures greeted me upon entering the space. As I made my way towards them, I wondered if our brains document memories the same way—with palettes that match our moods and traces of the ones we shared them with.
These snapshots and the bite-sized stories that adorn them bear the brunt of this artistic showcase. Geloy’s photos may share a bunch of similarities from afar, but they couldn’t be more different up close, especially once you read what’s written on each one.
If visual art is the exhibit’s soul, then writing is its heart. Every unique message on the gallery’s walls strings together a language of grief, longing, resistance, and tireless hope, alongside a syntax that permanently etches itself in our hearts.
With bittersweet yet comforting sentiments about familial conflict, existential crises, growing pains, and heartbreak in all forms, you’ll soon realize that you aren’t alone in fighting your silent battles.
Where Confessions Meet Creations
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Things You Wanted to Say But Never Did began as an online call for confessions. In 2019, Geloy connected with his fellow storytellers by asking: “What are things you wanted to say, but never did?” Replies from every continent flooded in right away, and before he knew it, his simple prompt evolved into a resonant showcase of our emotional turmoil.
Now, these anonymous notes take center stage at Geloy’s exhibit at ADMU, fostering an intimate environment for visitors to engage with.
A “Third Place” for Dreamers of All Ages
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There are days when my own thoughts terrify me. In these bouts of fear, I envision them escaping my mind to seek a permanent home I can no longer build.
Still, I sit with them. I process them the best I can until the worries subside and I’m back to normal. It’s these brief epiphanies that’ve helped me realize that, just like our bodies, our innermost sentiments need spaces to grow in their own right.
I was delighted to discover that Geloy’s exhibit had exactly that—a section for visitors to put their worries and grievances to rest. Similar to the photos and messages that lingered around me, the gallery had pencils and pieces of paper for you to answer the same prompt that fueled the project. You can either share your written sentiments on a freedom wall or take them home with a simple print of Geloy’s art.
The exhibit-goers told stories that ranged from love confessions to deep-seated secrets and long-term wishes for their loved ones. Others even penned letters to themselves and the dreams they’re chasing.
These inspirational anecdotes would’ve immensely helped me in my last year at ADMU, which was plagued with heaps of grief and wounds that still haven’t healed. Had the exhibit existed back then, I could’ve conquered the tail-end of my undergraduate studies with a little more reassurance in my heart.
Still, I’ve grown particularly fond of the notion that Geloy’s exhibit has no beginning or end. As long as we have stories worth telling, then we have every right to nurture them in a world that mostly favors silence.
More from Geloy Concepcion
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Geloy is no stranger to uplifting Filipino identities through artistic avenues. For the California-based creative, photography and portraiture “aren’t just about people’s pictures, but also the access and consent your subjects give for you to represent them.”
Things You Wanted to Say But Never Did is a testament to his passion and involvement in various creative disciplines. They’ve helped him publish a photographic journal of the same name, get featured in Vogue, and collaborate with major names in Philippine entertainment—including SB19, BINI, Ben&Ben, Cup of Joe, IV of Spades, and Maki, to name a few.
Geloy’s debut exhibit runs until July 12, 2026. Follow the Ateneo Art Gallery on social media for more details about the project’s schedule and rates.
ALSO READ: LOOK: This New Art Exhibit Plays With Space, Perception, and Illusion
Have you already explored Geloy Concepcion’s debut exhibit? How was your experience? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
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