Barako delves into my father’s youth, when he became a serial street fighter to survive in the 1960s-70s Philippines. Amidst an era that glorified the "tough guy," he trained in combat fighting, using his skills to protect himself and others. Fighting was also a way to channel his anger towards his father, who physically disciplined him.

Beyond the aggression, Barako highlights the quiet tenderness and care in his life — his escapes into nature, or his sneaking food each night to his childhood friend in need. Days after his last fight at his dad's funeral, he was found asleep in his grandfather's gentle embrace. Despite my adult father's hardened exterior, he was still just a young son grieving the loss of his father.

We know of the aggression and dominance associated with the hegemonic masculinity that many young boys and men are conditioned into. But what of the tenderness and curiosities that come with the nature of boyhood? What of that is just as necessary in physical and emotional survival, especially when a boy becomes a man?

Chelsea Pineda is a Filipina-American artist whose work encompasses photography, film, and writing. Her practice explores the intimacies of cultural identity, lineage, and memory. Her debut project, "Barako," which explores masculinity, paternal relationships, and family legacy, has been award-nominated and internationally exhibited. Chelsea's work has been selected and shown at the Vermont Center of Photography's "Open Juried Exhibition" and the Scotiabank Contact Photography Festival in Toronto.

She is based between London and New York City, and holds a Master of Arts in documentary photography from London College of Communication.