The Secret Garden with Ennuh Tiu

Name, age, where are you from, what format you like using, what are you currently working on if you are?

I'm Ennuh Tiu, and I like taking pictures. A 1989 baby!!! I’m from Manila, Philippines. I primarily work with lens-based media, but my format varies depending on the project—sometimes it's digital, other times film. I recently collaborated with an artist who works with collage, and I’m also exploring printmaking and scanography.

For my personal art, I’m looking forward to continuing my project about Drag Queens in Waiting, a concept that came about during my participation in the Angkor Photo Festival this year.

What about your surroundings/environments and upbringing interested you?

As a child, nothing in my immediate surroundings felt particularly notable, so I created my own fantasy world. I was drawn to the concept of The Secret Garden—the idea of discovering a place just beyond reach. I tried to turn our own garden into a magical one, decorating it with things that made it feel more whimsical.

I was fascinated by ordinary spaces that seemed to hold a sense of magic—attics, basements, bookcases that led to secret passageways. This shaped my photography in the way that I now seek to create new worlds through my images.

When was the first time you met photography? How did you feel when you met it?

I was drawn to taking photos, but I never set out to be a photographer.

Growing up, photos were only for special occasions. But that changed when I met someone who carried a camera 24/7—capturing moments even when nothing “special” was happening. It made me realize the magic in the mundane.

At first, photography was just a way to document the everyday, an accompaniment to my journal. But over time, it became something more—a way to make sense of things, to tell a story, to show how I see life.

I took a film photography class in university, but it didn’t speak to me. The rigid ideas of what made a “good” photograph felt limiting. But that experience also solidified my love for color photography—how it shapes mood, energy, and emotion in a way that feels true to how I experience the world.

Tell us about a personal photo project. Is this story inspired out of personal reasons, or others?

The first personal photo project I ever did was shaped by the pandemic—I hate that word now, but it undeniably pushed me toward visual narratives and personal work. Unable to go out and shoot, I thought, might as well make something while I’m here. It also forced me to confront feelings about my family that I had been processing subconsciously.

It wasn’t until I tapped into the most personal, honest parts of myself—what I was going through, what I was feeling—that I truly understood what it meant to create meaningful work.

What are lessons you have learned when doing the project?

Personal work that comes from a place of honesty. At first, I wanted my photography to be about something else—something cool, but looking back on it now—something that wasn’t actually so deeply rooted.

The more I leaned into what felt true to me, the more the project took shape in a way that actually resonated.

I also realized that limitations can be creative fuel. Being stuck at home forced me to look inward, to work with what was immediately around me, and to find new ways of telling a story. Most importantly, I learned that photography isn’t just about capturing what’s in front of you—it’s about revealing something deeper, both to yourself and to others.

How did you find your visual literacy? Why are you attracted to certain images more than others?

I found my visual literacy by following what naturally drew me in—color, emotion, and a sense of otherworldliness. I’m drawn to images that blur the line between reality and a dream, something familiar yet slightly odd. I want my work to feel like a portal—rooted in the tangible but reaching beyond.

⁠Imagine meeting someone who is picking up a camera for the first time. What do you tell them?

Just click the shutter!!!! Forget about what you think a good photo should look like. Just observe. Follow your curiosity, even if it doesn’t make sense at first. The technical part can come later—what matters more is understanding why you’re drawn to certain things and trusting that instinct. I think that's what makes you a storyteller rather than just someone who snapped a photo.