Xyza Cruz Bacani (b. 1987, the Philippines) is an award-winning interdisciplinary artist and writer based in New York. Her experience as a second-generation domestic worker in Hong Kong informs her practice and engagement in less visible, erased, and underreported world events. Her works explore migration, transnational identity, climate change, and labor.
Bacani received her M.A. in Arts Politics at New York University in 2022. She has been recognized as one of Asia Society’s Asia 21 Young Leaders, Artpil’s 30 Under 30 Women Photographers, Forbes’s 30 Under 30 Asia, and BBC’s 100 Women of the World. Her artistic accomplishments are documented by the Philippines House of Representatives under ‘House Resolution No. 1969’. She received multiple grants from the WMA Commission, the Open Society Moving Walls Foundation, and the Pulitzer Center, and was one of the Magnum Foundation Photography and Social Justice Fellows. She is also the author of We Are Like Air.
Bacani’s work is in the permanent collections of the Museum of the City of New York, Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago, Kadist Collection Paris, San Francisco, Foreign Correspondents Club Hong Kong, Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, New York University Abu Dhabi, and numerous private collections worldwide.
Contact: xyzabacani@yahoo.com
Represented By: Redux Pictures New York City, USA
London and New York : Christine Park Gallery
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2023
Peter Augustus Gallery, Dallas- February 18-March 25, 2023
2022
.Taipei Dangdai 2022 presented by Christine Park Gallery, Taiwan-May 20-22, 2022
2020
.Project Ugnayan Website
https://www.projectugnayan.org
Interactive website of stories in the Philippines
2019
.We Are Like Air Christine Park Gallery PHOTOFAIRS Shanghai, September 2019
.We Are Like Air Christine Park Gallery, New York May 03- June 22, 2019
2018
.We Are Like Air Hong Kong Arts Centre November 30- December 23 2018
.We Are Like Air Open Source Gallery, New York August 01-25 2018
.Public Art Installations New York June- August 2018
.Under Represented Christine Park Gallery, PhotoFairs San Francisco, USA
2017
.Singapore Runaways Foreign Correspondent Club Hong Kong November 03- December 2017
.American Chamber of Commerce Gallery, Hong Kong August-December 2017
.Street Photography International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum Saint Louis, Missouri USA May- June 2017
.Modern Slavery Cho Why Gallery,Bangkok Thailand April 2017
.Modern Slavery Bangkok Arts and Cultural Centre United Nations Women March 08-March 30 2017
2016
.Under Represented Christine Park Gallery at Apiary Studios London, United Kingdom December 09 2016-January 2017
.“The Outlier” Arrow Factory Beijing,China October 03-December 05 2016
.Modern Slavery MCG Youth and Arts Gallery, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania October 17-January 2017
.Nostalgia Hong Kong Art in Residence
.Modern Slavery, Kong Art Space, Hong Kong
.Humans of Makati, Ayala Triangle Gardens Metro Manila
2015
.Behind Concrete Walls, KUC Space, Kong Kong
.Shared Past, The Foreign Correspondence Club, Hong Kong
.Mono, Kong Art Space, Hong Kong
.Slices of Life, Macau Old Court Building, Macau
2014
.Mono, The Foreign Correspondence Club, Hong Kong
.Xyza in Focus, The Philippine Consulate General, Hong Kong
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2018
Wanchai Grammatica Hong Kong Arts Centre September 2018
2017
.Open Society Moving Walls 2017
.Bearing Witness Galley 102,Washington D.C
2016
.What Works Bronx Documentary Center New York
.Women In Photography Objectifs Centre Singapore
.Expressions Corniche Millennium Hotel AbuDhabi UAE
.After Work, Para/Site Gallery, Hong Kong
2015
.Unpredictable… Unscripted: Street Photography by Filipinos, Vargas Museum, Quezon City
2014
.Streetscapes, The Photographic Angle, UK touring exhibition
.Manila Photo, SM Aura Atrium and Samsung Hall, Manila
2013 The Nature Conservancy, Hong Kong
AWARDS
2017
.Open Society Documentary Photography Grantee
.WMA Commission Grantee
.PDN’s New and Emerging Photographer to watch
.Philippine Tatler Generation T
2016
.Pulitzer Center Grantee
.Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia: The Arts
.Photo Boite 30 Under 30 Women Photographers
.Style Weekend Women Who Wow
2015
.BBC 100 Women
.The Standard Young Visionary of the Year (Photojournalism)
2014
.Justice Centre Human Rights Arts Prize
.Human Rights Press Award (Special merit)
.HIPA Photography Awards: Face Category (Fifth place)
.National Geographic Awards, Hong Kong (Finalist)
2013 National Geographic Awards, Hong Kong (Finalist)
2012 National Geographic Awards, Hong Kong (Finalist)
PHOTOJOURNALISM
2018
Pulitzer Center: Climate Change and Human Trafficking
2017
Pulitzer Center: Singapore Runaway’s
2016 Coming Clean: The Prevalence of Forced Labour and Human Trafficking for the Purposes of Forced Labour Amongst Migrant Domestic Works in Hong Kong, Justice Centre Hong Kong
The Dark Side of Hong Kong’s Prosperity, Foreign Policy
When Hong Kong’s Domestic Helpers Need Help, ChinaFile Online Magazine
2015 Human Trafficking in New York, Redux Pictures
Photographing Human Trafficking in New York, The New York Times
A new perspective: 10 years as a domestic helper in Hong Kong, now a globe-trotting photography, South China Morning Post