Jayson Sablan reflects on coastal change in ‘Ta Na’i Ånimu II: Sacred Waters’

By Ron Rocky Coloma

On Saipan’s coastlines, change often arrives quietly. It shows up in familiar fishing spots, gathering places and shorelines that feel unchanged until they are not. That slow realization sits at the center of photographer Jayson Sablan’s work, now on view at the Guam Museum as part of an exhibition that blends art, memory and environmental concern.

More than 35 artists from across the Mariana Islands are participating in “Ta Na’i Ånimu II: Sacred Waters,” which opened Saturday and runs through Feb. 28. The exhibition is organized by the Micronesia Climate Change Alliance and Hita Litekyan and brings together visual art and photography that organizers describe as both creative expression and activism.

This year’s focus is on what organizers call the region’s sacred water and the threats facing it. Those concerns range from PFAS and dieldrin contamination to proposed deep seabed mining operations that critics say could further damage marine ecosystems across the Marianas.

Sablan is exhibiting a collection of 40 by 50 centimeter photographs titled “Shifting Shores.” The series grew from time spent along Saipan’s coastlines and from noticing how much the landscape had changed without immediate alarm.

“‘Shifting Shores’ comes from spending time along the coastlines on Saipan and realizing how much it has changed without myself really noticing,” Sablan said. “I began photographing these scenes as coastal erosion in Saipan has slowly blended into daily life as it subtly reshapes the places the community gathers, fish and grows around.”

Rather than focusing on dramatic imagery, Sablan said his approach centered on adaptation.

“My approach was simple as I focused on moments that show how people adapt and carry on,” he said. “This work is both a record and reminder that our connection to the ocean is shifting, and it is up to us to decide how we respond.”

Before the photographs had a name, Sablan said the work was guided by familiarity and concern shaped by growing up around these shorelines.

“There was a sadness in realizing that places I remembered as stable were no longer the same, and yet they were still being used in the same everyday ways,” he said.

The title, he said, is meant to guide viewers rather than explain the images.

“They lean towards ideas that are tied to the scenes without giving a clear conclusion, which gives room for personal interpretation,” Sablan said.

Installed alongside works by artists from Guam, Saipan, Tinian and Rota, Sablan said his photographs participate in a shared reflection on water, place and memory.

“I hope viewers leave with a deeper sense of connection to the waters that shape our bodies, our lands and our histories,” he said, adding that he hopes the exhibition encourages respect for water as sacred, living and deserving of care and protection.

Organizers said the exhibition is intended to spark conversation across generations, linking artistic practice with lived experience and community responsibility. By placing environmental concerns inside a space, they aim to create room for reflection, dialogue and awareness grounded in the Mariana Islands.

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