Tahana(n)
#05
----
‘Tahana(n)’
"Tahanan" (2025) is the debut photo book zine by Aki Chua. The pages play between a recollection of their favorite memories growing up in the Philippines and returning as an adult.
The name "Tahana(n)" is the Tagalog word for "home", stemming from the word "Tahan", a sweet translation for "to soothe", "to calm", "to stop crying".
Each photo is taken by Aki from their digicam, given by their dad in 2018 accompanied with a page of photos their Aunt took from her camera back in 2011. The zine is crafted together with care, displaying an ode to their home land, to their 9 year old self who already felt too much of the world's burdens and the people they continue to miss. Between their heart and these pages, Aki has offered an ode for people with diasporic experiences. This is ultimately shared through care via the curation of imagery to the materiality of hand-made paper. There's a sense of calm which is Aki's offering of peace, for what once was.
Published by Chibi and Esme
1st Edition of 18
By Aki Chua
This edition by Chibi and Esme