Lope Navo continues to capture the beauty of the male physique through photographs (Sabong News)

When talking about nude art, the usual things that come to mind are the ancient sculptures of the gods by Greek artists. These masterpieces all spotlight the beauty of the human anatomy, especially the male form, with stones carved to perfection depicting the beautiful lines of the body and a myriad of emotions. One can’t help but marvel at the great works. As years passed, the nude art movement got a new medium—photography. Lensmen capture their subjects in their most bare, stripped off of the adornments, exposed yet pure. In the past, famous photographers have produced works with their male muses in au naturel. The likes of Greg Gorman, Mario Testino, Alasdair McLellan gave the world a more intimate view of their subjects through their picture books celebrating the masculine form. Doing the same thing is international Filipino fashion photographer Lope Navo as he launches his latest photobook dubbed “ ”. A view of the world and its beings through Navo’s eyes, “ ” is a collection of images he has taken through the years of globetrotting and working with some of the fashion industry’s bests. It is a book filled with moments of faraway destinations with men in risque at the center. “I photograph everything with my SLR or iPhone.I’m known for photographing ‘male physique’ from the very start, and in an industry largely dominated by women, I photograph men with such conviction and consistency,” Lope tells Manila Bulletin Lifestyle. Lope’s journey to becoming an international fashion photographer today started at the halls of the University of Manila. While pursuing a Fine Arts degree, he also took photography as a minor. After that, he tour the world, from South East Asia to the Middle East and Latin America, and experience everything it has to offer, ultimately making him see things in a better, larger image that helped hone his camera skills. Apart from its provocative sense, bravery can be seen in Lope’s latest work. As someone who’s born in a religious and conservative country, he sheds that mold to explore unchartered territories when it comes to the local photography scene. His imagery on male physique breaks norms, and that’s something one rarely sees in these times of censorship. “I believe that you can only be inspired by a chosen subject matter, every photographer has one, that is why they photograph that subject matter again, and again, mainly due to ‘sentimentality,’ they become legendary by this repetition and consistency,” he muses. “You want to create your own world surrounded by the same subjects, for me, it is simply the portraits of physically-fit adult men, from every continent I lived in.” This is not the first time Lope immortalized his captured images through a book. In 2009, he produced “Stark,” a “controversial” collection of male nudes. He followed it up with “Raw,” his sophomore book produced during the pandemic in 2021. The same theme continues in “ ,” but this time, his mastery of capturing charming moments is also put in the limelight. In the 350-page book, readers will get a glimpse of his adventures in Brazil through photographs taken in Pedra da Gávea, one of the country’s highest mountains. His recent fashion photography featuring the designs of Dubai-based designer Michael Cinco and Miss Universe winners Pia Wurtzbach and Catriona Gray are also included in the book. “There is a specific theme, color, city, light, shadows, symbolisms in my photo books,” Lope says. “‘ will take you to another world where the first two didn’t. For $500 on Amazon, you will experience almost an erotic travelogue. You don’t have to book a $2,000 round trip ticket to Brazil or Hollywood, you can enjoy this book in the comforts and safety of your own living room.” Exotiko!